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tim's  first  visit  to  the  ragged  school.       Page  tt. 


STEPS  UP  THE  LADDER; 


THE  WILL  AND  THE  WAY. 


A  TRUE  STORY. 


"Godliness  is  profitable  unto  all  things,  having  promise  of  the 
%  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come." — 1  Tisi.  iv.  8. 


PHILADELPHIA  : 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD   OF    PUBLICATION. 


STEPS  UP  THE  LADDER; 

OR, 

THE  WILL  AND  THE  WAY. 


CHAPTER  I, 


"  HE    EAISETH    THE    POOR    OUT    OF 

THE   DUST." 

1  Samuel  ii.  8. 

It  was  a  stormy  winter's  night. 
The  wind  blew  keenly  from  the 
north-east,  whistling  through  every 
crevice,  and  mingled  sleet  and  hail 
rattled  against  the  casements,  re- 
minding Christian  families  of  the 
home  comforts  a  gracious  Providence 
had  given  them,  and  drawing  from 
many  hearts  expressions  of  grati- 
tude and  love.      But  tempestuous 

3 


4       STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  oe, 

as  the  night  was,  a  few  persons 
were  passing  and  repassing  in  the 
streets.  Here  and  there  a  police- 
man paced  his  beat,  or  a  porter  re- 
turned from  his  employment,  mak- 
ing what  haste  he  could  to  escape 
from  the  pelting  of  the  storm. 

It  is  sad  to  think  that  in  our 
great  cities  and  towns  there  are 
numbers  of  human  beings  without 
homes,  without  work,  and  without 
friends,  with  the  single  exception 
of  that  Friend  who  "changeth  not," 
"  for  a  father  of  the  fatherless,  and 
a  judge  of  the  widows,  is  Grod  in  his 
holy  habitation."     Psalm  lxviii.  5. 

It  is  to  one  of  these  friendless 
beings  we  have  to  call  the  reader's 
attention.  A  boy  of  fifteen  years 
of  age,  very  ragged  and  dirty,  was 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.         5 

loitering  about,  and  seemed  in  no 
particular  hurry  to  get  himself 
housed,  but  lingered  in  doorways 
and  alleys,  as  though  they  were  the 
only  shelter  he  had  to  expect.  Tim 
Roberts,  for  that  was  the  name  of 
the  boy,  was  cold  and  hungry. 
Every  now  and  then  he  would  stop 
and  blow  his  fingers,  in  the  vain 
attempt  to  warm  them ;  and  when 
the  tempest  beat  into  his  face  more 
vehemently  than  ever,  he  drew  his 
tattered  jacket  close  about  him,  and 
looked  round  for  a  place  of  refuge, 
till  the  snow-cloud,  that  the  wind 
was  driving  onward,  should  have 
spent  its  fury.  A  lobby  was  at 
hand,  and  Tim  stepped  in  with  a 
feeling  of  satisfaction.  A  door 
opened  out  of  this  lobby  into  a  long 
1* 


6         STEPS   UP    THE    LADDER;    OR, 

low  room,  and  Tim  heard  a  voice, 
speaking,  it  seemed,  almost  at  his 
elbow.  He  gave  the  door  a  push, 
and  walked  in. 

The  room  was  full  of  boys,  rag- 
ged and  dirty  like  himself,  and  each 
one  had  come,  like  himself,  from 
some  hole  or  corner  of  the  city. 
Tim  wondered  what  they  did  there, 
but  more  than  all  at  their  silence. 
He  could  not  have  believed  they 
were  so  near  him.  It  was  a  ragged 
school  that  he  had  chanced  to  enter, 
and  an  hour  ago  he  might  have 
seen  these  boys  come  rushing  in,  in 
the  most  boisterous  manner.  He 
would  not  have  been  able  to  hear 
himself  speak  ;  but  now  they  sat 
mute,  their  faces  full  of  interest, 
and  their  eyes  fixed  upon  the  speaker, 


THE   WILL   AND    THE   WAY.         7 

listening  to  every  syllable  lie 
uttered. 

What  was  the  theme  that  held 
them  in  such  mute  attention  ?  It 
was  a  theme  familiar  to  many  who 
read  these  pages,  and  to  all  of  vital 
importance.  The  speaker  was  en- 
deavouring to  unfold,  in  the  most 
simple  language,  the  great  doctrine 
on  which  the  hopes  of  every  human 
being  depend — the  doctrine  of  atone- 
ment through  the  blood  of  Christ. 

This  good  man  was  one  of  those 
who  sow  beside  all  waters,  and  the 
business  of  whose  life  it  is  to  win 
souls  to  Christ.  He  was  a  city  mis- 
sionary, and  had  had  much  success 
among  the  friendless  and  the  out- 
cast. Many  a  one  had  he,  through 
God's    blessing,  rescued  from   de- 


8        STEPS   UP   THE   LADDER;   OR, 

struction ;  and  now,  as  he  looked 
round  on  these  poor  neglected  chil- 
dren of  want  and  sorrow,  his  heart 
yearned  towards  them.  He  de- 
sired to  lead  them  to  the  good  Shep- 
herd, who  gave  his  life  for  the 
sheep  ;  and  passing  by  every  other 
topic,  he  fixed  upon  this  great  one 
of  salvation,  as  the  most  likely  to 
arrest  their  attention. 

The  servant  of  Grod  has  many 
discouragements ;  but  one  thought 
is  full  of  comfort.  He  goes  out, 
like  the  sower,  to  sow  his  seed  over 
the  ground  that  God  has  given  him 
to  cultivate.  There  is  the  stony 
rock,  there  is  the  way-side  with  the 
fowls  of  the  air,  there  is  the  soil 
that  will  grow  nothing  but  thorns 
and  briars.     Still,  in  the  midst  of 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.         9 

all,  there  will  not  fail  to  be  the 
good  ground  ready  for  the  Master's 
use,  and  only  waiting  for  the  seed  to 
be  dropped  into  it.  Among  his 
hearers,  be  they  ever  so  unhopeful, 
there  may  be,  unknown  to  him, 
some  tender  affectionate  heart  that 
will  receive  the  gospel  message  and 
close  round  it,  and  it  will  become 
the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 
What  preparation  the  good  ground 
has  received  above  the  rest  is  not 
for  us  to  say :  the  wind  bloweth 
where  it  listeth,  and  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  heart  belongeth  unto 
God.  We  can  only  see  the  result, 
and  rejoice  in  the  faithfulness  of 
the  promise — "  My  word  shall  not 
return  unto  me  void,  but  shall  ac- 
complish that  which  I  please,  and 


10      STEPS   UP   THE   LADDER;   OR, 

prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I  sent 
it."  This  promise  was  about  to  be 
fulfilled  in  a  remarkable  manner. 
Little  did  the  speaker  imagine  the 
effect  produced  by  his  words  on  the 
miserable  looking  boy,  who  had 
come  in,  in  the  midst  of  his  ad- 
dress. 

Like  many  other  boys  of  his 
class,  Tim  Roberts  was  a  heathen 
in  a  Christian  land.  He  had  never 
heard  he  was  a  sinner,  or  had  the 
questions  put  to  him,  Are  you  fit 
to  stand  before  Grod  ?  and,  What 
will  become  of  your  soul  ?  He  had 
never  heard  that  he  was  in  need  of 
a  Saviour,  or  been  told  of  the  great 
love  of  Christ  in  giving  his  life  a 
ransom  for  many. 

The  missionary  dwelt  on  each  of 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      11 

these  topics,  and  tried  to  rouse  the 
consciences  of  his  rude  audience  to 
a  sense  of  their  danger,  and  to  lead 
them  to  the  Lamb  of  Grocl,  who 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 
He  urged  them  to  go  to  their  Saviour 
in  prayer,  assuring  them  there  was 
not  a  spot  in  the  whole  world  where 
his  ear  was  not  open  to  their  cry ; 
and  that  he  had  said,  "Ask,  and  it 
shall  be  given  you;  seek,  and  ye 
shall  find ;  knock,  and  it  shall  be 
opened  unto  you." 

Thus  was  the  seed  sown  in  this 
poor  boy's  heart.  For  the  first  time 
it  came  dropping  like  the  dew  from 
heaven,  without  noise  and  without 
observation.  But  it  had  come  ;  and 
be  sure,  if  the  power  of  God  was  with 
it,  it  must  presently  spring  up  like 


12     STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;   or, 

the  plant  and  the  tender  herb,  bring- 
ing with  it  verdure  and  gladness. 

Tim's  experience  in  the  world  was 
very  limited.  The  space  he  lived 
in  was  but  a  single  room.  His 
father  was  a  drunkard,  and  did 
little  to  maintain  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Tim  was  the  eldest. 
His  mother  had  never  cared  to 
raise  herself  above  the  level  of  her 
neighbours,  and  so  the  family  ex- 
isted, year  after  year,  in  their 
wretched  garret,  without  Grod,  with- 
out Christ,  and  without  hope  in  the 
world.  And  now  Tim,  in  his  rags 
and  ignorance  and  dirt,  had  been 
hearing  for  the  first  time  the  glad 
tidings  of  salvation. 

Nothing  could  be  more  forlorn 
than  the  state  in  which  these  tidings 


THE   WILL   AND    THE   WAY.      13 

found  him.  Accustomed  to  beg  and 
even  to  steal,  to  sleep  in  holes  and 
corners,  when  he  had  not  earned 
enough  to  allow  him  to  shelter  in 
the  garret  that  he  called  his  home, 
any  more  settled  employment  than 
that  of  sweeping  a  crossing  Tim  had 
never  thought  of ;  and  in  this  con- 
dition he  had  lived  from  his  child- 
hood, without  a  care  to  improve  it. 
But  it  was  as  if  a  sunbeam  had  been 
let  into  some  darkened  chamber. 
Everything  was  indistinct,  but  ob- 
jects were  brought  to  view  that  had 
hitherto  been  hidden  in  obscurity. 
Tim  had  heard  he  was  a  sinner,  and 
the  Holy  Spirit  had  applied  that 
word  with  power  to  his  soul. 

The    natural   conscience  is   long 
before  it  is  silenced.     The  first  time 
2 


14     STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;   or, 

that  Tim  committed  theft,  he  had 
felt  a  sensation  of  unrest.  But  a 
repetition  of  the  sin  had  hardened 
his  heart,  and  silenced  the  warning 
voice.  Now  conscience  was  roused 
by  a  mightier  power  than  that  of 
nature. 

"  Yes,"  it  whispered  to  him. 
"You  are  a  sinner.  You  have 
broken  God's  law  again  and  again. 
God  will  be  your  Judge.  Are  you 
fit  to  stand  before  God  ?" 

These  thoughts  took  hold  of  the 
boy's  mind.  At  first  he  tried  to 
shake  them  off. 

"It  is  impossible  for  me  to  be 
anything  but  what  I  am,"  thought 
he.  "I  am  nearly  grown  up,  and 
can't  tell  a  letter  when  I  see  it ;  how 
can  I  read  the  Bible?     God  can't 


THE    WILL   AND    THE   WAY.      15 

expect  a  poor  lad  like  me  to  be  re- 
ligious. I'm  no  worse  than  other 
lads,  and  I  suppose  I  must  take  my 
chance;"  and  Tim  walked  briskly 
away,  as  if  he  would  shake  off  the 
impression  produced  by  the  mis- 
sionary's address. 

The  wind  and  snow  had  ceased, 
and  the  stars  looked  coldly  out  from 
on  high.  Tim  did  not  intend  to  go 
home  that  night,  for  he  had  earned 
nothing.  He  found  his  way  into  a 
loft,  as  he  had  often  done  before, 
and  lay  down  upon  the  straw.  Here 
he  meant  to  sleep,  and  then  creep 
forth  at  an  early  hour,  before  there 
was  any  chance  of  detection.  But 
he  had  heard  a  message  too  strik- 
ing to  allow  him  to  sleep.  The 
voice   kept    whispering   again  and 


16      STEPS   UP   THE   LADDER;    OR, 

again,  "You  are  a  sinner!"  and, 
"  What  will  become  of  your  soul  ?" 
The  teaching  of  the  most  pious 
education  could  not  have  brought 
home  the  conviction  of  sin  more 
forcibly  than  did  the  awakened  con- 
science of  this  poor  friendless  boy. 
Tim  knew  in  a  vague  manner  that 
there  was  a  Grocl,  but  he  had  never 
thought  of  him,  or  realized  his  ex- 
istence. But  God  had  come  near 
to  him,  and  was  speaking  to  him  in 
the  still  small  voice,  and  he  would 
abhor  himself  in  dust  and  ashes. 
He  began  to  review  his  past  life,  in 
the  crude  way  of  one  unused  to  re- 
flection. But  there  was  nothing  in 
the  remembrance  of  his  misspent 
days  to  afford  him  any  comfort ;  and 
again   the   question  pressed    itself 


THE   WILL   AND    THE   WAY.      17 

upon  him,  "  What  will  become  of 
your  soul  ?"  Then,  quick  as  a  flash 
of  light,  came  the  thought,  "  Why 
do  I  not  pray?"  He  recalled  the 
words,  "  There  is  no  spot  in  the 
whole  world  where  his  ear  is  not 
open  to  your  cry."  Tim's  heart 
softened,  his  eyes  filled  with  tears. 
He  knelt  down,  but  was  unable  to 
sj3eak.  He  knew  no  words  in  which 
to  address  the  Divine  Majesty.  He 
was  too  ignorant,  too  wicked,  too  far 
off — he  could  only  stammer  out  a 
few  broken  sentences  entreating  for 
mercy.  We  may  safely  leave  him 
at  the  throne  of  grace,  believing  that 
as  G-od  is  the  hearer  and  answerer 
of  prayer,  he  will  deliver  him  from 
the  horrible  pit  and  the  miry  clay, 
and  set  his  feet  upon  a  rock. 
2* 


18      STEPS   UP    THE    LADDER;    OR, 


CHAPTER   II. 
"WHEREAS    I    WAS    BLIND,    NOW     I 


SEE." 


John  ix.  25. 

There  is  no  starting  point  from 
which  young  people  can  begin  life 
so  well  as  from  a  good  and  affec- 
tionate home.  A  united  household 
is  like  a  nursery  for  heaven.  But 
from  Grod,  even  in  this  sense,  comes 
every  good  and  perfect  gift ;  and 
whatsoever  things  are  true,  honest, 
just,  pure,  lovely,  and  of  good  re- 
port, are  found  only  where  his  love 
and  his  peace  have  taken  up  their 
abode.     The  want  of  these  causes 


THE   WILL   AND    THE   WAY.       19 

the  painful  scenes  that  are  so  often 
occurring  both  among  the  rich  and 
the  poor — separations,  jars,  strifes, 
nay,  even  cruelty  and  murder. 

Tim's  home,  as  we  have  said,  was 
of  the  most  wretched  kind  ;  but  it 
is  not  our  intention  to  dwell  much 
on  this  fact.  The  miserable  abodes 
of  the  poor  in  our  great  towns  have 
been  too  often  described  to  need  a 
place  in  these  pages.  It  is  the 
gradual  development  of  new  life  in 
a  soul  hitherto  sunk  in  darkness 
and  ignorance  that  we  wish  to  de- 
lineate. 

Tim  was  conscious  of  the  exist- 
ence of  a  principle  within  that  was 
struggling  to  gain  the  ascendency 
over  his  thoughts  and  actions.  His 
long  indifference  to  spiritual  things 


20     STEPS  UP  THE   ladder;  or, 

had  given  place  to  a  keen  anxiety. 
And  as  he  made  his  way  through 
the  streets  in  the  twilight  of  a  win- 
ter's morning,  one  might  fancy  that 
his  countenance  gave  some  indica- 
tion of  what  was  passing  in  his 
mind.  Its  vacant  expression  was 
changed  to  one  of  thoughtfulness, 
as  if,  like  the  Philippian  gaoler,  he 
had  been  asking,  "  What  must  I  do 
to  be  saved  ?" 

As  he  turned  into  the  alley  where 
his  parents  lived,  some  of  his  idle 
associates  were  lounging  about. 
They  began  to  talk  in  their  usual 
slang  dialect.  Tim  did  not  know 
why  it  was,  but  their  language  had 
become  distasteful  to  him,  and  he 
passed  them  by  and  hurried  into 
the  house. 


THE   WILL   AND    THE   WAT.        21 

A  crust  of  bread  was  all  the  re- 
freshment he  could  obtain ;  and  as 
soon  as  he  had  partaken  of  this 
scanty  breakfast,  he  took  up  his 
broom  and  set  off  for  his  crossing. 
But  his  mind  still  dwelt  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  missionary's  address. 
He  could  not  pursue  his  calling 
with  his  usual  alacrity ;  a  sense  of 
sin  and  degradation  was  upon  him. 
After  he  had  earned  a  few  pence 
he  quitted  his  post,  and  wandered 
away,  until  he  had  left  the  noise 
and  bustle  of  the  city  behind.  He 
must  have  some  solitude,  some 
place  where  he  could  be  alone  with 
God. 

It  was  a  bright  morning,  clear 
and  frosty,  and  no  trace  was  left  of 
the  storm  of  the  night  before.    Tim 


22      STEPS   UP    THE    LADDER;    OR, 

breathed  more  freely  when  he  had 
cleared  the  outskirts  of  the  city. 
He  made  his  way  into  a  field ;  the 
hoarfrost  lay  upon  the  grass  like 
diamonds.  There  was  a  shed  in 
the  field.  Tim  entered  it  and  knelt 
down :  his  forehead  touched  the 
ground.  He  was  overwhelmed  with 
a  sense  of  his  own  guilt,  and  of 
God's  presence.  The  Holy  Spirit 
was  showing  him  his  need  of  a  Sa- 
viour. Thousands  of  awakened 
consciences  have  had  the  same  ex- 
perience with  Tim,  but  of  this  he 
knew  nothing,  and  he  thought  some 
strange  thing  had  happened  to  him. 
Again  he  prayed  as  well  as  he  was 
able,  and  his  prayer  was  like  that 
of  the  publican,  "  God  be  merciful 
to  me  a  sinner !" 


THE    WILL   AND    THE    WAY.       23 

But  the  missionary  had  spoken 
of  a  Saviour.  He  had  told  the 
boys  that  Jesus  Christ  came  down 
from  heaven  to  save  sinners,  and 
that  he  had  said  to  just  such  bur- 
dened souls  as  Tim's,  "  Come  unto 
me,  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 
All  this  came  clear  and  distinct 
into  Tim's  mind,  and  he  was  ena- 
bled in  some  degree  to  comprehend 
and  lay  hold  upon  it. 

"  I  will  come,"  thought  he,  "  to 
this  Saviour;"  and  he  began  to 
pray  more  earnestly,  casting  his 
wrhole  soul  on  the  gracious  invitation 
he  had  received.  And  that  merci- 
ful Redeemer,  whose  compassion  is 
without  limit,  heard  his  cry.  It 
was  as  if  some  one  had  said  to  him, 


24     STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

"  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee :  go  in 
peace." 

That  hour  was  the  most  impor- 
tant of  Tim's  life.  The  true  light 
had  shined  into  his  heart,  and  it 
was  like  the  opening  of  the  blind 
eyes.  He  still  wept,  but  they  were 
tears  of  joy.  A  sense  of  pardon 
filled  his  soul.  The  great  God,  be- 
fore whom  he  had  trembled  as  a 
Judge,  was  now  to  him  as  a  friend, 
a  reconciled  G-od  and  Father.  Life 
had  changed  its  character,  and  had, 
for  the  future,  new  objects  and  new 
ends.  The  Christian  race  lay  be- 
fore him :  "  This  is  the  way,  walk 
ye  in  it ;"  and  he  must  follow  it  out 
at  all  risks,  and  in  spite  of  all  diffi- 
culties. For  some  days,  the  secret 
joy  of  his  soul  at  receiving  pardon 


THE   WILL   AND    THE   WAY.       25 

was  too  great  to  allow  of  any  other 
thought,  and  filled  him  with  a 
"  peace  that  passeth  all  understand- 
ing." But  he  soon  began  to  feel 
his  want  of  religious  knowledge, 
and  a  desire  to  become  acquainted 
with  God's  word.  He  had  always 
known  there  was  such  a  book  as 
the  Bible,  and  that,  to  use  his  own 
words,  "  the  parsons  read  out  of  it 
at  church ;"  but  that  the  Bible 
should  have  anything  to  do  with 
him  personally,  he  had  never  dream- 
ed of.  Here  again  his  ignorance 
seemed  to  present  a  barrier.  He 
did  not  know  one  letter  from  an- 
other, and  how  could  he  read  his 
Bible,  even  if  he  had  one? 

He  must  learn  to  read.    It  would 

be  very  hard,  Tim  thought,  to  find 
3 


26     STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

out  what  those  crooked  marks 
meant  up  and  down  the  page.  It 
would  take  him  a  long  time ;  and 
who  was  to  teach  him  ?  His  father 
could  not,  for  he  did  not  know  him- 
self. He  could  not  afford  to  pay 
anything,  though  he  knew  a  school 
where  he  could  be  taught  for  a  half- 
penny a  night :  even  that  was  too 
expensive  for  Tim.  He  would  go 
to  the  ragged  school.  It  was  set 
up  on  purpose  for  boys  like  him. 
He  was  not  tidy  and  respectable 
enough  to  venture  anywhere  else. 

But  at  this  early  period  of  Tim's 
career  something  whispered  to  him 
that  he  must  try  and  raise  himself 
from  his  wretched  condition,  and 
hinted  at  the  minor  blessings  that 
religion  brings  in  its  train.      Tim 


THE   WILL   AND    THE    WAY.      27 

had  already  withdrawn  from  his 
bad  companions,  and  his  heart  re- 
coiled from  the  vice  that  surrounded 
him.  His  face  was  turned  Zion- 
warcl ;  and  He  who  had  begun  a 
good  work  was  able  to  carry  it  on 
to  his  own  glory. 

It  was  early  in  the  evening  when 
Tim  reached  the  school,  and  the 
door  was  not  unlocked.  A  few  of 
the  boys  were  waiting  about  in  the 
lobby,  and  one  of  them,  Ned  Walker 
by  name,  was  well  known  to  Tim. 
Ned  seemed  much  in  earnest,  for  he 
was  leaning  against  the  wall,  with  a 
tattered  book  in  his  hand,  and  busi- 
ly engaged  in  spelling  out  the 
letters.  He  just  looked  up  at  Tim, 
and  then  began  his  task  again,  as  if 
afraid    of    losing   a   minute.     Tim 


28      STEPS    UP   THE    LADDER  ;    OR, 

spoke  to  him.  He  thought  Ned 
must  have  the  same  motive  in  com- 
ing there  that  he  had  himself,  and 
he  hoped  to  find  a  friend  in  him. 
Tim  told  him  how  anxious  he  was 
to  learn  to  read. 

"  Ah  !  that's  a  fine  thing,  depend 
on  it,"  said  Ned,  still  tracing  the 
words  with  his  finger ;  "  that's  just 
what  I  want  to  do.  Thinks  I  to 
myself?  Ned  Walker,  you'll  never 
do  any  good  in  the  world  till  you 
know  how  to  read." 

"Is  it  very  hard?"  asked  Tim, 
peering  at  the  book  Ned  held  in  his 
hand. 

"  Well,  yes ;  middling  well  of 
that.  But  other  folks  have  got 
through  it,  and  so  I  suppose  we 
shall  too." 


THE   WILL   AND   THE    WAY.      29 

"  I  hope  the  teacher  will  be  here 
again  to-night,"  said  Tim,  as  if  to 
himself. 

u  Teacher  ?  Oh  yes,  there's  lots 
of  them :  of  course  they  will,"  said 
Ned,  carelessly. 

"  I  mean  the  one  who  preached 
to  us,"  said  Tim.  "I  shall  never 
forget  what  he  said,  as  long  as  I 
live." 

u  Ay,  that  was  a  city  missionary, 
as  they  call  him.  I  don't  care  what 
he  says— thinks  I,  I  comes  here  for 
my  learning,  and  don't  want  none 
of  your  religion." 

Tim  was  silent.  There  was  a 
great  difference  between  these  two 
boys.  Not  all  the  rough  usage  Tim 
had  met  with  had  made  him  so  hard- 
ened and  daring  as  his  companions. 


30      STEPS    UP    THE    LADDER 


Ned  was  a  bold,  bad  boy,  but  clever 
and  ambitious.  He  had  head  with- 
out heart.  His  policy  was  to  over- 
come his  destiny  by  the  power  of  a 
resolute  will.  He  had  never  been 
trodden  down  like  poor  Tim,  for  he 
gave  blow  for  blow,  and  his  parents 
rather  feared  than  oppressed  him. 
He  was  resolved  to  get  on  in  the 
world,  and  had  wit  enough  to  find 
out  that  knowledge  is  power  and 
riches  too.  He  was  determined  to 
knoiv.  And  as  no  one  can  get  at 
the  treasures  of  knowledge  without 
going  over  precisely  the  same  ground, 
Ned  had  to  do  what  every  other  lad 
has  done  before  him — learn  to  read. 
For  the  rest  he  cared  nothing.  The 
pious  lessons  of  his  teachers  wTere 
lost   upon   him.      It   was    not   for 


THE   WILL   AND    THE    WAY.      31 

eternity,  but  for  time  that  Ned  was 
working. 

Presently  the  school  began.  But 
the  missionary,  whose  words  had  so 
affected  Tim,  was  not  there.  This 
was  a  sore  disappointment  to  Tim, 
the  more  so  as  night  after  night 
passed  and  he  did  uot  come.  Tim, 
however,  set  himself  to  the  task  of 
learning,  with  great  diligence.  It 
was  difficult  at  first,  and  the  crooked 
marks,  as  he  called  them,  seemed 
to  dance  up  and  down  before  his 
eyes.  Some  time  must  elapse  ere 
they  would  go  into  their  places,  and 
form  the  words  Tim  wanted  to 
understand. 

Those  who  have  been  brought  up 
with  the  blessings  of  education  in 
their  hands,  can  have  but  little  idea 


32     STEPS  UP  the  laddee;  or, 

of  how  hard  it  is  to  snatch  at  it  by- 
bits  and  scraps,  as  Tim  had  to  do. 
By  day  he  plied  his  trade  in  the 
muddy  street,  and  it  was  but  one 
brief  hour  he  could  devote  to  gain- 
ing the  knowledge  he  thirsted  for. 
He  had  no  books,  or  means  to  buy 
any,  and  no  friends  at  home  to  help 
him  forward.  His  way  was  hedged 
up  with  difficulties ;  but  still  he  did 
not  despair.  He  had  put  his  hand 
to  the  plough,  and  there  was  no 
looking  back. 

One  night,  a  little  incident  oc- 
curred between  him  and  his  teacher, 
that  in  the  end  turned  out  to  his 
advantage.  Tim's  clothes  were 
dirty,  and  so  were  his  hands  and 
face.  He  had  never  been  taught 
the    duty  of    cleanliness,   and  his 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      33 

companions  set  him  but  a  poor  ex- 
ample. The  teacher,  to  whom  he 
was  spelling  his  letters,  said  to  him, 
"  Sit  a  little  further  off,  will  you  ?" 

Tim  looked  up  into  the  teacher's 
face,  and  a  new  idea  struck  him. 
It  was  the  difference  between  clean- 
liness and  dirt.  He  blushed  and 
moved  to  a  respectful  distance.  The 
teacher  added  kindly,  "  You  should 
use  a  little  soap  and  water,  my  lad  ; 
that  is  cheap  enough  surely." 

Tim  walked  home  very  deliber- 
ately, thinking  over  the  teacher's 
words.  There  were,  then,  many 
things  to  be  done  besides  learning 
to  read.  The  boy's  self-respect  be- 
gan to  awake.  This  was  a  natural 
consequence  of  education,  however 
imperfect.     He  had  taken  one  step 


34   STEPS   UP    THE    LADDER;    OR, 

out  of  his  low  estate,  and  he  was 
impelled  to  go  forward.  The  teach- 
er's hint  was  not  lost  upon  him,  and 
in  future  he  never  went  to  school 
without  washing  his  hands  and  face 
at  the  pump,  or  at  some  other  spot 
where  water  could  readily  be  found. 
All  this  time  he  heard  much 
from  the  teachers  of  the  matter  that 
lay  nearest  to  his  heart.  First  one, 
and  then  another,  spoke  to  the  boys 
of  the  things  that  make  for  their 
peace.  Tim  heard  again  and  again 
of  that  Saviour  who  came  into  the 
world  to  die  for  sinners.  He  would 
listen,  with  tearful  eyes,  to  the  story 
of  his  life  on  earth  and  his  death 
upon  the  cross.  He  felt  more  and 
more  drawn  to  sacred  things,  and 
his    desire  to    read  the    Bible  for 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.       35 

himself  grew  stronger  every  day. 
He  would  often  hide  himself  in 
some  quiet  corner,  away  from  his 
own  home,  and  spell  over  the  words 
from  the  fragment  of  a  book  that 
Ned  Walker  had  given  him.  He 
would  pray  earnestly,  though  with 
a  stammering  tongue,  and  think  in 
his  poor  way  of  Christ  and  heaven. 
He  did  not  know  it,  but  he  was 
under  the  guidance  of  a  better 
Teacher  even  than  the  missionary. 

One  day,  as  he  was  reading  from 
his  book,  Ned  Walker  passed  him. 
He  was  so  well  dressed  Tim  hardly 
knew  him,  and  uttered  an  exclama- 
tion of  surprise. 

"  Why,  how  do  I  look?"  asked 
Ned,  stopping  and  surveying  him- 
self with  a  smile  of  gratified  vanity. 


36     STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

"  Smart  enough  for  anything. 
How  did  you  get  your  fine  clothes, 
Ned?" 

Ned  looked  rather  confused: 
then  recollecting  himself,  he  an- 
swered boldly,  "  Never  you  mind. 
Ask  me  no  questions,  and  I  will 
tell  you  no  lies." 

"  You  don't  come  to  school  now," 
said  Tim. 

"  No,  I've  done  with  that  sort  of 
thing,"  replied  Ned,  contemptu- 
ously. "  I've  got  all  I  wanted. 
I'm  ten  to  one  better  than  you.  I 
can  read  a  book  from  end  to  end, 
and  write  too,  and  mean  to  get  on 
in  the  world,  and  be  respectable 
some  of  these  days." 

"  But  if  you  don't  begin  right?" 
said  Tim. 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.       37 

"  Nonsense !  how  should  I  begin, 
but  with  a  decent  set  of  clothes  on 
my  back  ?  And  I'm  going  on  with 
my  learning  at  the  parish  school. 
What  more  can  I  do?" 

"Can  you  read  the  Bible?"  asked 
Tim  eagerly. 

"  Can,  but  don't  want  to.  What 
should  I  read  my  Bible  for?  I 
aren't  going  to  die,"  said  Ned,  half 
angry. 

"  But  the  teacher  says  the  Bible 
tells  us  how  to  live,"  replied  Tim 
gravely. 

"  I  don't  care  nothing  for  that. 

I  know  what  I  want — to  get  on  in 

the  world,"  cried  Ned  with  great 

emphasis.     "I  know  I  can't  doit 

without  learning.     No  one  ever  did. 

Who'd    take  a  fellow  as  couldn't 
4 


38      STEPS   UP    THE    LADDER;    OK, 

read  or  write?  And  I  can't  do 
it  neither  without  good  clothes. 
Who'd  take  up  with  a  ragged  street 
sweeper?  So  I'll  learn  to  read, 
and  I'll  get  clothes  somehow.  And 
now  just  look  at  me,  and  see  which 
is  doing  the  best  by  himself." 

Tim  could  not  reply,  and  yet  he 
knew  better.  To  learn  to  read,  and 
not  to  read  the  Bible,  was  to  get 
the  shell  and  throw  away  the  ker- 
nel. He  had  not  read  the  Pil- 
grim's Progress,  or  he  would  haye 
thought  of  the  man  gathering 
straws  together,  while  one  held  a 
golden  crown  above  his  head.  Ned, 
alas !  had  not  seen  the  crown,  and 
his  whole  heart  was  intent  upon 
the  straws. 


THE   WILL   AND    THE   WAY.      39 


CHAPTER  III. 
"in  all  labour  there  is  profit." 

Proverbs  xiv.  23. 

The  winter  was  over,  and  the 
bright  spring  weather  had  dried 
the  streets  and  crossings,  so  that 
Tim's  sweeping  was,  for  the  time, 
at  an  end.  At  such  intervals  he 
had  more  leisure  than  he  knew 
what  to  do  with.  His  parents  had 
brought  him  up  without  the  least 
idea  of  industry,  but  they  expected 
him  to  pick  up  a  living  under  all 
circumstances.  As  we  said  before, 
Tim  had  been  used  to  beg,  and  oc- 
casionally to  steal ;  and  the  rest  of 


40     STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

the  time  he  had  loitered  away  in 
idle  games  with  his  companions. 
But  this  vagrant  life  had  become 
intolerable  to  him.  He  longed  for 
regular  employment,  and  would 
thankfully  have  learned  a  trade, 
however  humble ;  but  as  Ned  told 
him,  he  must  have  decent  clothes, 
for  who  would  take  a  ragged  street 
sweeper  ? 

Tim  often  felt  discouraged  at  his 
forlorn  condition ;  but  at  such  sea- 
sons he  would  take  his  sorrows  to 
his  heavenly  Father,  and  pray  for 
help  and  guidance  in  the  up-hill 
path  he  was  treading. 

One  day,  his  mother  sent  him  to 
a  grocer's  shop,  at  a  little  distance. 
The  shop  happened  to  be  full,  for 
it  was  market  day,  and  the  shopman 


TIM    AND    THE    GROCER. 


Page  41. 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      41 

was  in  an  unusual  bustle.  Tim 
waited  some  time  before  he  could 
be  served,  and  when  at  last  he  got 
what  he  was  sent  for,  and  was  leav- 
ing the  shop,  he  heard  the  master 
say  to  one  of  the  customers,  "  It  is 
the  most  unlucky  thing  in  the 
world.  My  apprentice  has  gone 
home  ill,  and  I've  no  one  at  hand 
just  now  to  send  with  the  goods." 

Tim  stood  a  moment  on  the  door- 
step as  if  struck  with  a  sudden  idea. 
He  first  ran  home,  and  then  re- 
turned almost  directly.  He  waited 
till  the  customers  had  cleared  off  a 
little,  and  then  went  up  to  the  mas- 
ter of  the  shop.  "  Can  I  take  the 
goods  out  for  you,  sir?" 

Mr.  Mason,  for  that  was  the 
shopkeeper's  name,  looked  at  him 
4* 


42      STEPS   UP    THE    LADDER;    OR, 

with  surprise,  and  no  great  satis- 
faction. 

"You!  You  are  so — you  are 
not  decent  enough,  my  lad,"  said 
he  at  length  ;  "  where  do  you  come 
from?" 

Tim  told  him. 

"Ah,  a  bad  neighbourhood — a 
very  bad  neighbourhood  indeed," 
said  Mr.  Mason,  shaking  his  head ; 
"and  at  your  age  to  be  in  rags,  and 
out  of  work:  no,  I  dare  not  trust 
you  on  any  account ;"  and,  with  a 
very  inflexible  face,  he  began  to 
weigh  some  sugar. 

Tim  still  loitered. 

"  I  would  not  take  a  ha'porth  of 
your  goods,"  said  he  presently, 
"  and  as  to  my  rags,  there's  no  one 
that  would  get  rid  of  them  more 


THE   WILL   AND    THE   WAY.      43 

gladly  than  me.  It  would  be  the 
best  thing  you  ever  did  in  your 
life,  sir,  to  give  me  a  job." 

"Yes,  and  have  you  run  away 
with  every  thing — a  likely  matter  : 
no,  no,  I  am  a  trifle  too  old  for 
that.     So  move  off,  will  you?" 

Tim's  heart  swelled  almost  to 
bursting.  He  went  outside  the  shop, 
and  still  waited,  in  hopes  the  man 
would  relent.  His  case  was  very 
hard  that  day.  He  had  eaten  noth- 
ing but  a  crust,  and  had  no  pros- 
pect of  earning  anything.  He  had 
the  keenest  desire  to  work,  and  yet 
no  one  would  employ  him ;  the 
keenest  desire  to  be  respectable,  and 
yet  was  compelled  to  be  in  rags. 
For  the  moment,  Ned's  policy 
seemed  to  be  the  best,  and  he  be- 


44     STEPS  UP  the   ladder;  or, 

gan  to  fear  he  must  get  on  by  every 
means,  lawful  or  unlawful,  if  he 
would  get  on  at  all. 

As  he  was  thinking  this  in  his 
heart,  he  moved  slowly  away,  and 
took  the  direction  to  his  own  home. 
He  had  to  pass  down  a  narrow  and 
badly  paved  street,  one  of  the  worst 
in  the  city.  The  houses  on  either 
side  were  large  and  lofty,  and  had 
once  been  occupied  by  wealthy 
merchants.  But  they  had  long 
since  deserted  them,  and  the  houses 
were  now  tenanted  by  pawnbrokers, 
and  second-hand  clothes  were  hang- 
ing in  every  direction.  Tim  stopped 
before  the  last  shop  in  the  street.  It 
was  a  corner  shop,  and  a  boy's 
jacket  was  swinging  about  the  out- 
side.    Tim  stood  looking  at  it,  as  if 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      45 

fascinated.  To  snatch  it  down,  and 
dodge  round  the  corner,  and  up  the 
next  alley,  would  be  easy,  and  quite 
practicable.  He  had  not  the  least 
doubt  but  Ned  had  so  come  by  his 
finery.  Once  possessed  of  the  jacket 
Tim  might  make  a  better  figure, 
and  get  employment.  Without  it, 
he  must  give  up  all  hopes  of  being 
noticed  by  any  one  respectable.  Tim 
had  pilfered  on  a  small  scale  before. 
This  would  be  a  more  daring  theft 
than  he  had  yet  attempted,  but  it 
might  be  clone  with  a  little  dexterity. 
These  thoughts  passed,  quick  as 
lightning,  through  Tim's  brain. 
He  stood  looking  at  the  jacket  as 
if  his  eyes  were  riveted  upon  it. 
He  even  took  hold  of  it,  to  feel  its 
texture.     It  came  off  its  peg,  and 


46     steps  ur  THE  ladder;  or, 

was  actually  in  his  hand !  Tim's 
heart  gave  a  convulsive  leap.  "  Run 
— fly — escape !"  whispered  the  voice 
that  was  tempting  him. 

But  Tim  did  not  stir.  Another 
voice  drowned  the  other,  and  seemed 
to  say  to  him,  "  Thou  slialt  not  steal.'''' 
Tim  put  the  jacket  hastily  back,  and 
fled,  not  with  it,  but  from  it.  His 
limbs  trembled.  He  felt  half  suffo- 
cated. He  seemed  as  if  snatched 
from  the  very  verge  of  a  precipice. 
He  fled  on,  in  his  haste  and  agita- 
tion, till  the  last  house  in  the  city 
was  past,  and  he  had  reached  the 
green  fields,  where  all  was  peace 
and  serenity.  Here  he  threw  him- 
self on  the  ground,  and  burst  into 
tears. 

The  principles  of  good  and  evil 


THE    WILL   AND    THE   WAY.      47 

had  been  at  war,  and  evil  had  all 
but  triumphed.  Tim  loathed  him- 
self for  half  consenting  to  the  deed. 
His  wretched  position  was  forgotten 
in  his  dread  of  God's  anger.  He 
knelt  down  and  prayed  for  forgive- 
ness. He  resolved  rather  to  starve 
than  to  become  a  thief. 

As  he  walked  back  to  the  city, 
he  felt  more  composed  and  cheer- 
ful. He  made  up  his  mind  to  seek 
employment  incessantly  till  he 
should  find  it.  And,  as  if  uncon- 
sciously, he  retraced  his  steps  to  the 
grocer's  shop.  Mr.  Mason  was 
standing  at  the  door,  looking  up 
and  down  the  street.  Tim  had  no 
idea  that  he  was  looking  for  him, 
and  would  rather  have  kept  out  of 
sight,  remembering  the  harsh  treat- 


48     STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

ment  he  had  received  an  hour  ago. 
But  the  shopkeeper  beckoned  him 
to  come  on,  and  as  soon  as  he  was 
near  enough,  called  out,  "  Here,  my 
lad,  you  make  a  great  show  of 
wanting  a  job,  and  then  take  your- 
self off  just  when  you  could  have 
one." 

Tim  quickened  his  pace,  and  soon 
reached  the  shop. 

"  Here's  a  gentleman  wants  his 
goods  to  go  to  the  carrier's,  and 
I  can't  find  any  one  to  take  them. 
So  I  suppose  I  must  trust  you.  If 
you  do  play  me  a  trick,  remember, 
I  shall  set  the  police  after  you." 

Tim  made  the  utmost  haste  he 
could  over  his  errand,  and  was  back 
sooner  than  his  employer  expected. 
By  this   time  the   business  of  the 


THE   WILL  AND   THE   WAY.      49 

day  was  so  pressing,  that  Mr. 
Mason  was  glad  enough  to  run  Tim 
here  and  there,  without  further 
parley. 

Tim's  happiness  was  very  great 
indeed.  It  is  true,  he  had  to  un- 
dergo the  suspicious  glances  of  the 
shopkeeper,  who  made  him  feel 
that  he  was  only  employed  on  suf- 
ferance. But  still  he  was  employed; 
and  Tim,  with  all  the  sanguineness 
of  youth,  hoped  that  one  thing 
would  lead  to  another,  and  that  he 
was  on  the  high  road  to  bettering 
his  condition. 
5 


50      STEPS   UP   THE   LADDER;    OR, 


CHAPTER  IV. 
"man's  goings  are  of  the  lord." 

Proverbs  xx.  24. 

Mr.  Mason  had  not  given  Tim 
the  slightest  encouragement  to  come 
again  ;  but  early  on  Monday  morn- 
ing, almost  before  the  shutters  had 
been  taken  down,  he  was  on  the 
spot. 

Mr.  Mason's  business  was  small, 
and  he  had  no  assistance  but  from 
his  apprentice  ;  consequently,  in  his 
absence,  the  master  had  to  do  the 
work,  and  he  was  sweeping  out  the 
shop  when  Tim  came  up.  He  sur- 
veyed   him    rather     grimly,    Tim 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      51 

thought,  and  merely  asked  him 
what  he  did  there. 

"  I  hoped,  sir,  you  might  be  want- 
ing me  this  morning,"  replied  Tim, 
twirling  his  cap  round  and  round. 

"  No,  I  don't;  but  stay — can't 
you  put  on  your  Sunday  jacket,  my 
lad?  It  is  not  the  thing  to  have 
such  a  tattered-looking  urchin  about 
one's  premises." 

"  I  have  no  jacket  but  this,"  said 
Tim,  hanging  his  head. 

"  Humph  !  what  did  your  parents 
mean  to  bring  you  up  to  then  ?" 
asked  Mr.  Mason  leaning  on  his 
broom,  and  surveying  the  boy  at- 
tentively. 

Tim  still  hung  his  head,  and 
made  no  answer. 

"  My  'prentice  that's  gone  home 


52      STEPS   UP   THE   LADDER;    OR, 

isn't  so  old  as  you  are,  but  he's  as 
tidy  and  smart  a  little  fellow  as  can 
be  seen  on  a  summer's  day.  That's 
what  I  like." 

"  Oh !  sir,  I  wish  that  I—"  and 
here  poor  Tim  stopped,  and  hid  his 
face  in  his  hands.  But  Mr.  Mason 
could  see  the  tears  trickling  down 
his  cheeks.  He  was  a  kind-hearted 
man,  and  felt  sorry  for  the  boy's 
distress.  Besides,  he  secretly  liked 
the  looks  of  him,  in  spite  of  his  tat- 
tered garb.  So  he  said  in  an  en- 
couraging tone,  "  Come,  you  need 
not  give  up,  anyhow.  There's 
plenty  of  time  before  you  to  get  on 
in  the  world,  if  you've  a  mind. 
You  worked  well  on  Saturday — I 
don't  deny  it.     Monday  is  rather  a 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.       53 

slackish  clay,  but  perhaps  I  can  find 
you  a  job." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  Tim, 
eagerly. 

"  I  only  wish  you  were  a  bit 
tidier  to  look  at.  I  must  get  the 
missis  to  hunt  up  an  old  jacket  of 
our  Joe's,  that  may  chance  to  fit 
you.  And  now  you  can  finish 
sweeping  while  I  have  my  break- 
fast." Mr.  Mason  felt  no  scruple 
at  leaving  Tim  alone  in  the  shop, 
because  through  a  little  window  he 
could  watch  all  his  proceedings.  If 
he  had  seen  into  Tim's  heart  he 
would  have  been  glad  that  he  had 
ventured  on  what  he  called  a  risk. 
The  boy  lifted  up  his  soul  to  God  in 
thankfulness  and  praise,  and  re- 
solved to  exert  himself  to  the  ut- 


54     STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

most  to  repay  the  kindness  so  un- 
expectedly shown  to  him. 

Joe's  jacket  was  old  and  worn, 
but  it  gave  Tim  a  more  respectable 
appearance.  Mr.  Mason  made  him 
eat  a  good  breakfast,  and  then  the 
business  of  the  day  began.  Tim 
gave  his  employer  satisfaction,  and 
was  desired  to  come  again  the  next 
day. 

"  Whatever  motive  the  lad  has," 
said  Mr.  Mason  to  his  wife,  "  he 
works  well."  But  though  Mr.  Ma- 
son was  struck  with  the  boy's  good 
conduct,  he  did  not  repose  implicit 
confidence  in  him.  He  knew  noth- 
ing of  the  great  event  that  had  hap- 
pened in  Tim's  history,  for  true  re- 
ligion is  more  inclined  to  actions 
than   to   words.     Still,  it   can  no 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.        55 

more  be  concealed  than  can  the 
sweet  flower  whose  own  fragrance 
betrays  it.  Tim's  steady  industry 
made  his  employer  feel  that,  in 
spite  of  his  poverty  and  bad  parent- 
age, he  was  worth  giving  a  help  to 
— if  only  he  could  be  trusted  :  of 
this  he  had  not  yet  satisfied  him- 
self. 

For  a  month  Tim  continued  in 
Mr.  Mason's  service,  and,  as  he  was 
better  fed,  and  more  kindly  treated, 
his  appearance  began  to  improve. 
Meanwhile,  the  apprentice  grew 
worse  instead  of  better,  and  it  was 
doubtful  whether  he  would  be  able 
to  return.  Tim  secretly  hoped,  if 
this  should  be  the  case,  Mr.  Mason 
might  be  induced  to  take  him  in 
his  stead. 


66      STEPS   UP   THE    LADDER;    OR, 

The  same  idea  occurred  to  Mr. 
Mason,  but  he  had  not  yet  suffi- 
cient confidence  in  Tim's  honesty. 
"  Those  sort  of  lads  are  often  up  to 
every  species  of  roguery,"  said  he 
to  his  wife,  "and  we  must  keep 
our  eyes  on  him." 

Every  evening  Tim  went  to  the 
ragged  school  as  usual ;  he  could 
do  so,  because  Mr.  Mason  closed 
his  shop  early.  He  also  ventured 
to  attend  the  Sunday-school,  thanks 
to  his  improved  appearance;  and 
became  a  regular  attendant  at  pub- 
lic worship. 

One  of  the  desires  of  his  heart 
was  to  possess  a  Bible  ;  but  his  ex- 
treme poverty  prevented  all  hope 
for  the  present  of  gaining  such  a 
treasure.      Quite  unexpectedly  this 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.       57 

pious  wish  was  gratified.  One 
morning  he  and  his  master  were 
turning  over  a  box  of  waste  paper, 
chiefly  fragments  of  old  books  and 
such  like,  to  be  used  in  tying  up 
parcels.  Tim  seized  upon  one  of 
the  fragments,  and,  holding  it  up, 
while  his  eyes  sparkled  with  joy, 
exclaimed,  "Oh!  sir,  it  is  a  Bible." 

"It  is  only  a  few  torn  pages. 
What  do  you  want  with  it  ?"  asked 
Mr.  Mason.  "  You  have  got  a  Bi- 
ble at  home,  haven't  you  ?" 

"  No,  sir,  I  never  had  a  Bible  in 
my  life!"  cried  Tim. 

u  What  a  heathen  you  must  be, 
lad !"  said  Mr.  Mason,  looking  up 
at  him. 

But  Tim's  eyes  were  full  of  tears, 
and  he  was  pressing  the  tattered 


58  STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

book  to  him  as  if  it  were  the  great- 
est treasure  in  the  world.  u  I  would 
give  all  I  have  for  a  Bible,  sir," 
said  he. 

"  Humph!  cau  you  read  it  then?" 
"  A  little,  sir,"  and  Tim  told  him 
about  his  going  to  the  ragged 
school ;  and  by  degrees,  and  with  a 
few  skilful  questions,  Mr.  Mason 
drew  from  him  the  story  of  his  con- 
version, and  why  he  had  resolved  to 
lead  a  new  life.  Mr.  Mason  was  a 
man  of  very  few  words.  All  the 
time  Tim  was  speaking  he  went  on 
sorting  his  paper,  as  if  he  took  no 
particular  interest  in  the  matter. 
Tim's  heart  was  chilled  by  his  in- 
difference. Nay,  it  sank  within 
him  when  Mr.  Mason  took  the 
ragged  Bible  from  him,  and  said, 


THE   WILL   AND   THE    WAY.       59 

"  I  would  rather  vou  did  not  have 

V 

it." 

Tim  felt  a  pang  of  disappoint- 
ment such  as  he  had  not  known 
before.  But  when  evening  came, 
and  he  was  about  to  go  home,  Mr. 
Mason  called  him  into  the  little 
parlour  behind  the  shop,  and  tak- 
ing a  new  Bible  from  the  table,  he 
put  it  into  his  hand,  and  said 
warmly,  "  There's  a  Bible  for  you, 
my  lad.  Bless  God  that  he  has 
put  it  into  your  heart  to  want  one." 

Tim  could  only  stammer  out  his 
thanks.  He  was  almost  too  rejoiced 
to  speak.  He  felt  like  one  who  has 
found  great  spoil.  "And  as  for 
your  schooling,"  continued  his  mas- 
ter, "  you're  getting  too  tidy  to  go 
to  the  ragged  school.      Besides,  I 


60     STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

hear  that  my  apprentice  is  not  likely 
to  come  back ;  and  now  I  know  you 
love  your  Bible,  it's  changed  my 
opinion,  and  I  don't  mind  trying 
you  a  bit." 

"  Oh,  sir,  may  God  bless  you !" 
cried  Tim,  bursting  into  tears. 

"  Well,  well,  you  need  not  make 
so  much  about  it,"'  said  Mr.  Mason, 
a  little  affected ;  "  I've  lived  long 
enough  in  the  world  to  know  there's 
nothing  like  religion  to  keep  a  lad 
honest  and  steady.  I  feel  sure,  if 
you  are  what  I  take  you  to  be, 
you're  just  the  lad  I  want;  so  the 
bargain  is  concluded,  isn't  it?" 
added  he  kindly. 

Poor  Tim  !  what  could  he  do  but 
thank  his  master  again  and  again, 
and  promise  to  serve  him  with  the 


THE   WILL   AND    THE   WAY.       61 

utmost  fidelity.  But  above  all,  his 
heart  rose  up  in  thankfulness  to  his 
heavenly  Father,  who  was  guiding 
him  step  by  step,  and  making  his 
way  plain  before  him.  "  He  leads 
his  people  by  a  right  way,  that  they 
may  go  to  a  city  of  habitation." 
6 


62     STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 


CHAPTER  V. 

"THROUGH  IDLENESS  OF  THE  HANDS 
THE  HOUSE   DROPPETH  THROUGH." 

Ecclesiastes  x.  18. 

Tim  was  to  lodge  at  Mr.  Mason's, 
for  the  convenience  of  being  always 
on  the  spot  and  making  himself 
generally  useful.  As  he  went  home 
to  sleep  for  the  last  time,  he  began 
to  consider  how  he  should  tell  his 
parents  of  this  new  arrangement. 
They  had  taken  little  notice  of  his 
proceedings  of  late.  The  man  had 
been  in  prison  for  a  month,  and  the 
woman  was  sunk  in  indolence  and 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      63 

despondency.  Tim  durst  not  let  her 
see  his  jacket,  lest,  old  and  worn  as 
it  was,  she  should  carry  it  to  the 
pawn  shop.  But  now,  he  must  tell 
them  he  was  going  to  leave  them. 
The  boy's  heart  yearned  over  his 
parents.  He  longed  to  impart  to 
them  some  of  the  spirit  that  had 
been  kindled  in  his  own  breast. 
He  longed  to  tell  them,  in  his  sim- 
ple way,  of  the  Saviour  they  des- 
pised, but  who  for  their  sakes  be- 
came poor,  and  knew  not  where  to 
lay  his  head.  Tim  thought  if  they 
heard  these  things  they  would 
amend  their  lives,  and  he  reproach- 
ed himself  for  his  timidity  in  not 
introducing  the  subject  before.  He 
felt  more  than  ever  thankful  to  that 
merciful  Providence  which  had  led 


64     STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

him  into  the  way  of  salvation.  He 
recalled  the  state  of  darkness  and 
ignorance  in  which  he  had  been 
plunged  so  long,  and  rejoiced  that 
now  the  day-star  had  arisen  on  his 
heart.  Silently,  and  unknown  to 
any  but  himself,  had  the  current  of 
his  life  been  changed.  The  germ 
of  true  religion  had  already  brought 
forth  fruit  in  a  reformation  of  evil 
habits,  and  in  the  desire  to  work 
his  way  honestly  and  industriously. 
He  repeated  to  himself  a  verse  of  a 
hymn  that  he  had  learned  at  school, 
and  that  seemed  as  if  written  for 
him. 

"  Oh  to  grace  how  great  a  debtor 
Daily  I'm  constrained  to  be  ! 
Let  that  grace,  Lord,  like  a  fetter, 
Bind  my  wandering  heart  to  thee. 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      65 

"  Jesus  sought  me  when  a  stranger, 

Wandering  from  the  fold  of  God ; 
He,  to  save  my  soul  from  danger, 
Interposed  his  precious  blood." 

When  Tim  reached  home,  he 
found  that  his  father  had  come  out 
of  prison,  and  was  sitting  smoking 
by  the  fire.  He  was  a  little  ashamed 
of  himself,  and  moved  uneasily  on 
his  chair  as  Tim  entered.  The 
woman  was  washing  some  clothes 
in  the  corner  of  the  room,  which 
presented  its  usual  squalid  and  for- 
lorn appearance.  Tim's  father  spoke 
to  him  less  roughly  than  usual.  He 
was  rather  crestfallen  by  his  late 
mishap ;  and  perhaps  the  prison 
discipline,  and  the  attempts  of  the 
chaplain  to  teach  him  better  things, 
had  made  some  slight  impression 
on  him. 
6* 


66      STEPS    UP   THE    LADDER 


"  Well,  Tim,  my  lad,  the  mother 
says  you're  not  often  art  home  now. 
What  art  doing  with  yourself?" 

"  I've  been  at  work,  father,"  re- 
plied Tim,  seating  himself  on  a  stool 
by  the  window. 

"  And  some  one  had  need  work," 
interrupted  the  woman  in  a  harsh, 
scolding  tone,  "  seeing  we've  scarce 
bread  to  eat,  and  no  one  but  me  to 
earn  a  penny." 

"  Come,  you  hold  your  tongue," 
said  the  man  savagely. 

The  woman  was  about  to  make  an 
angry  reply  when  Tim  interposed. 
"  Mother,  I  have  earned  something 
to  buy  bread  with.  See,  here  is 
part  of  my  wages.  Only  don't  let 
us  have  ugly  words  to-night." 

"  You've  done  well,  my  lad,"  said 


THE   WILL   AND    THE   WAY.       67 

the  man  approvingly,  as  he  chinked 
the  pence  in  his  hand.  "  How  did 
you  get  such  a  lot  of  coppers  ?" 

"  By  working  for  them,  father.  I 
have  been  running  of  errands  for 
Mr.  Mason,  the  grocer,  and  such- 
like, and  now  I've  got  the  place  for 
good,  and  mean  to  get  on  in  the 
world,  and  be  respectable." 

The  woman  laughed  scornfully, 
but  the  man  said  in  the  same  ap- 
proving tone,  "  I  aren't  no  objection, 
my  lad.  We  need  some  of  us  get 
on.  We're  down  deep  enough  any 
how." 

"  It's  our  own  fault,  father,"  said 
Tim.  "We've  only  to  bestir  our- 
selves, and  we  might  soon  be  out 
of  this  garret.  I'm  willing  enough 
to  work,  and  mean  to  do  it  too." 


68     STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

"  Ah,  it's  right  you  should,  Tim. 
You're  a  big  lad  now,  and  the  young 
'uns  are  all  for  chopping  and  chang- 
ing. This  garret's  good  enough  for 
me  and  your  mother.  We  don't 
want  no  change  at  our  time  of 
life." 

"  But  if  it  was  a  change  for  the 
better,  you'd  like  it,  father,"  argued 
Tim. 

"  Mayhap  I  might,"  said  the  man 
lazily,  and  knocking  the  ashes  out 
of  his  pipe  ;  "  but  that's  not  likely 
to  happen.  So  you've  got  a  place, 
have  you  ?" 

"  Yes,  a  regular  place,  where  I'm 
to  board  and  lodge.  I've  been  look- 
ing out  for  it  sharp  enough ;  and 
now  I've  got  it,  I  mean  to  keep  it. 
It  is  at  Mr.  Mason's,  the  grocer." 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      69 

"  A  strictish  sort  of  a  chap  he  is. 
You  won't  stay  there  long." 

"  I  mean  to  stay  if  I  can.  I've 
made  up  my  mind  to  be  a  new  man," 
said  Tim  earnestly.  "  I'm  tired  of 
being  a  beggar,  and  going  in  rags." 

"  Heyday  !  what's  come  over  the 
lad?"  cried  his  mother;  "you'd 
used  to  be  contented  enough  before 
you  went  off  schooling :  I  knew  no 
good  would  ever  come  of  that." 

"  Good  has  come  of  it,  mother.  I 
shall  soon  knowT  how  to  read,  and 
then  I  can  learn  many  things  I 
never  thought  of  before." 

"  What  things,  pray  ?"  asked  his 
mother,  who  had  left  off  washing, 
and  was  rubbing  the  soap-suds  from 
her  arms. 

"  Things  about  Grod,  mother,  and 


70     STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

how  lie  is  angry  with  us  if  we  sin 
against  him,"  l^lied  Tim  seriously. 

"  That's  the  chaplain  all  over," 
exclaimed  the  man.  "  He  was 
always  driving  at  that." 

"  Because  it's  the  first  thing  the 
Bible  teaches  us,  father.  It  tells 
us  we  are  all  sinners.  I  did  not 
know  that  till  I  went  to  the  ragged 
school." 

"  And  now  you  do  know,  what 
good  is  it?"  interrupted  his  mother. 

"  Hush,  let  him  go  on,"  said  the 
man ;  "  the  chaplain  told  us  that, 
Tim ;  but  I  couldn't  make  much 
out  of  it." 

"Well,  father,  the  first  night  I 
went  to  the  school  one  of  the  city 
missionaries  preached  there,  and  he 
told  us  so  plain  you  could  not  help 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.       71 

understanding.  He  told  us  about 
the  Garden  of  Eden,  and  how  man 
was  made  good  till  he  ate  of  the 
fruit  that  God  had  said  he  was  not 
to  eat.  And  that  we  had  gone  wrong- 
ever  since,  and  there  was  none  that 
did  good  in  the  whole  world."  The 
man  filled  his  pipe  again,  and  began 
to  smoke  ;  the  woman  came  and  sat 
down  by  the  fire.  Neither  of  them 
spoke. 

"  And  then,  father,"  continued 
Tim,  "  he  told  us  to  look  into  our 
own  hearts  and  see  how  wicked  we 
had  been.  And  that  when  we  died 
God  would  judge  us  ;  and  if  we  were 
in  our  sins  we  should  not  go  to 
heaven,  but  be  shut  up  with  the 
devil  and  his  angels." 

"Ah,    it's    fine    talking,"    cried 


72     STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

Tim's  mother,  getting  up  and  going 
back  to  her  wash-tub. 

"  Then  he  told  us,  father,  how 
Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to 
save  sinners.  He  told  us  a  text 
that  I  got  to  know  by  heart:  'While 
we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for 
us.'  Oh,  father,  it  was  beautiful  to 
hear  him  tell  us  about  Christ,  how 
he  loved  us,  and  came  down  from 
heaven  to  save  us,  and  was  nailed 
on  the  cross,  and  mocked  at,  and 
died,  and  was  laid  in  the  grave; 
and  all,  that  God  might  forgive  us, 
and  punish  him  instead  of  us." 

Tim  spoke  with  great  earnestness. 
The  boy's  heart  was  in  the  matter. 
His  father  smoked  on,  looking 
thoughtfully  into  the  fire.  The 
woman    made    a    great    noise  and 


THE   WILL  AND   THE   WAY.       73 

splashing  at  her  wash-tub,  as  if  the 
subject  were  distasteful  to  her. 

"  And  then,  father,  I  went  regu- 
lar to  school  and  learned  my  letters, 
and  to  spell  out  the  words.  I  can 
put  a  sentence  together  pretty  well 
now,  and  I've  been  to  church  a  time 
or  two ;  and  I  mean  to  work,  and 
lead  a  new  life  from  what  I  did  be- 
fore. The  teacher  said  last  night 
if  a  lad  feared  Grod,  he  would  not 
be  content  to  go  in  rags,  and  idle 
away  all  his  time.  He  told  us  two 
lines  of  a  hymn,  and  made  us  say 
it  after  him  : — 

1  Satan  finds  some  mischief  still 
For  idle  hands  to  do.' 

He  said  idle  boys  and  men  stand 
on  the  devil's  ground." 


74      STEPS   UP   THE    LADDER;    OR, 

"  That's  true  enough.  Your  fa- 
ther had  better  go  to  that  school," 
said  the  woman  in  an  aggravating 
tone. 

The  man  turned  round  as  if  to 
make  an  angry  reply;  but  recol- 
lecting himself,  he  merely  said  to 
Tim,  "  Well,  I  ain't  sorry  you've 
got  an  inkling  of  these  things,  my 
lad.  Happier  if  I'd  known  'em 
before,  I  shouldn't  have  been  in  the 
iix  I  am.  But  there's  no  helping 
that  now.     I  am  too  old  to  mend." 

"  Not  a  bit,"  cried  Tim,  ear- 
nestly ;  "  I  saw  a  man  at  the  ragged 
school,  quite  as  old  as  you,  as  was 
come  to  learn  to  read." 

"  Learn  to  read  ?  Bless  the  lad ! 
What  should  I  learn  to  read  for  ?" 
cried    his    father.      "  No,  no,  I'm 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      75 

very  well  content  as  I  am.  I  won't 
hinder  you  from  getting  on,  my 
boy ;  but  don't  fash  us  over  much 
with  your  learning  and  your  reli- 
gion, or  we  may  chance  fall  out 
about  it."  So  saying,  he  got  up  and 
went  out,  as  if  he  did  not  wish  to 
hear  any  more.  And  his  mother 
left  her  washing,  to  go  in  and  gossip 
with  a  neighbour  about  the  fine 
new  place  Tim  was  going  to  the 
next  clay. 


76      STEPS   UP   THE   LADDER;   OR, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"TWO   ARE   BETTER   THAN   ONE." 

Ecclesiastes  iv.  9. 

If  a  miser  had  suddenly  come 
into  possession  of  a  treasure,  he 
could  not  have  felt  more  keen  and 
heartfelt  joy  than  did  Tim  when  his 
master  gave  him  the  Bible.  This 
sacred  volume  seemed  to  include  all 
he  could  desire  or  wish  for.  Here 
lay  the  knowledge  he  so  thirsted 
after.  Here  lay  stores  of  precepts 
which  he  had  only  heard  verbally, 
and  in  an  unconnected  manner. 
Here  was  the  story  of  his  Saviour's 
life  and  death.     Happy  would  be 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      77 

the  time  when  he  could  read  these 
things  for  himself. 

The  first  night  he  was  at  Mr. 
Mason's,  when  all  had  retired,  and 
the  house  was  quiet,  he  took  out  his 
Bible,  and  tried  to  make  himself 
acquainted  with  its  pages.  Alas ! 
it  was  little  he  could  do.  Most  of 
the  words  were  quite  unintelligible 
to  him.  He  felt  confused  and  un- 
equal to  the  task.  His  education, 
such  as  it  wTas,  could  only  carry  him 
through  the  first  simple  lessons  in 
the  spelling  book,  and  he  laid  down 
his  Bible  with  a  sigh  of  discourage- 
ment. "  I  know  nothing,"  thought 
he,  "  and  how  can  I  ever  read  my 
Bible?" 

Then  Tim's  mind  turned,  as  it 
was  wont  to  do  in  every  trial,  to 


78     STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

that  "  Friend  who  sticketh  closer 
than  a  brother,"  and  of  whose  love 
and  care  he  had  already  had  expe- 
rience. He  believed  fully  that  his 
prayer  would  be  heard  for  the  sake 
of  his  Redeemer's  sacrifice ;  and 
with  a  simple  faith  that  an  older 
Christian  might  have  envied,  he 
knelt  down  and  told  his  sorrow  to 
his  heavenly  Father,  and  asked  for 
help. 

Tim's  prayer  was  answered  in 
rather  an  extraordinary  manner. 
It  had  been  overheard  by  a  lad  of 
his  own  age,  who  slept  in  the  next 
room.  This  lad  was  Mr.  Mason's 
only  son.  But  to  the  grief  of  his 
parents  he  had  early  displayed  a 
consumptive  tendency,  and  his 
health  was  too  delicate  to  allow  of 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      79 

his  taking  any  part  in  the  business 
of  the  shop.  Indeed,  every  spring 
his  life  seemed  to  hang  upon  a 
thread,  and  it  was  doubtful  whether 
he  would  struggle  through  till  the 
warm  weather  came  with  its  reviv- 
ing influence. 

Poor  Joe's  time,  during  part  of 
the  year,  was  spent  on  the  sofa  in 
the  dark  little  parlour,  where  he 
lay  very  patient  and  quiet,  and 
amused  himself  by  reading.  His 
father  called  him  an  excellent 
scholar,  and  indeed  he  was  not  un- 
deserving of  the  name.  He  could 
read  well,  wrote  a  good  hand,  and 
was  far  advanced  in  accounts,  be- 
sides having  a  great  deal  of  general 
information. 

His  education  had  not  been  so 


80     STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

much  interfered  with  by  his  ill 
health  as  might  be  supposed.  He 
was  a  thoughtful,  industrious  boy, 
and  contrived  by  home  study,  and 
a  careful  attention  to  his  lessons,  to 
keep  up  with  his  more  robust  com- 
panions. Latterly,  his  illness  had 
increased  so  much  that  his  regular 
studies  had  been  abandoned.  One 
source  of  enjoyment,  however,  still 
remained  to  him,  and  happily  it 
was  not  easily  to  be  exhausted. 

Joe  had  always  been  a  well  dis- 
posed boy,  and  never  made  his 
mother's  heart  to  ache.  But  his 
illness,  and  the  solitude  consequent 
upon  it,  had  led  him  to  reflection 
and  to  prayer.  On  his  naturally 
amiable  disposition  was  grafted  the 
character  of  one  who  has  truly  and 


THE   WILL   AND   THE  WAY.       81 

sincerely  received  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  as  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour. 
As  he  lay,  week  after  week,  help- 
less, and  unable  to  take  part  in  the 
active  sports  usual  to  lads  of  his  age, 
his  Bible  was  his  constant  com- 
panion. In  its  pages  he  found 
enough  to  solace  his  affliction  and 
enable  him  to  bear  it  with  patience  ; 
and  he  was  looking  forward  with 
hope  and  love  to  that  time  when  he 
should  be  set  free  from  the  frail 
suffering  body,  and  be  for  ever  with 
the  Lord. 

With  such  feelings  and  princi- 
ples, it  was  not  likely  that  Joe 
should  hear  the  cry  of  the  poor 
ignorant  boy  beside  him  without 
responding  to  it.  Here  was  some 
one  to  whom  he  could  do  good,  to 


82     STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

whom  he  could  lend  a  helping  hand  ; 
and  he  thanked  Grod  for  those  pri- 
vileges he  had  himself  enjoyed,  and 
which  he  was  able  in  some  measure 
to  extend  to  others.  He  resolved 
to  give  Tim  instruction  every  even- 
ing, and  the  next  day  he  consulted 
his  father  on  the  subject. 

"  Don't  make  the  lad  idle,  Joe. 
If  he  gets  to  be  a  book-worm,  what 
will  become  of  the  shop  ?" 

Joe  pacified  his  father  by  explain- 
ing the  sort  of  instruction  he  wished 
to  give. 

"  Ah  !  I  don't  mind  that,"  replied 
Mr.  Mason ;  "  knowledge  is  a  fine 
thing,  Joe,  and  he'll  be  as  handy 
again  when  he  can  write  and  cast 
up  accounts." 

When  Tim  was  ushered  for  the 


THE    WILL   AND    THE   WAY.      83 

first  time  into  the  dark  little  room, 
and  saw  the  poor  emaciated  boy 
lying  on  the  sofa,  he  was  struck 
with  the  deepest  sympathy.  Amidst 
all  his  troubles  and  hardships,  he 
had  enjoyed  the  blessing  of  health  ; 
and  now  that  he  had  kind  treat- 
ment and  good  food,  he  had  spread 
out  into  a  robust  youth.  Joe's  hands 
were  so  thin,  and  his  cheeks  so 
hollow,  Tim  looked  at  him  in  alarm, 
and  expressed  his  fear  lest  teaching 
should  be  too  great  a  fatigue  for 
him.  "  You  had  better  let  me  be," 
said  he ;  "  you  are  not  half  strong 
enough  to  turn  teacher."  But  Joe 
assured  him  it  would  do  him  no 
harm,  and  only  be  a  pleasant  am- 
usement. 

"  JSTow  then,"  said  he,  "  you  must 


84      STEPS   UP   THE    LADDER;    OR, 

begin  by  -showing  me  bow  you  can 
read." 

A  more  gentle,  patient  instructor 
Tim  could  not  have  found  anywhere. 
And  when  he  had  finished  hammer- 
ing out  his  lesson,  as  he  called  it, 
Joe  took  the  Bible  out  of  his  hand, 
and  said,  "JSTow  I  will  read  to  you." 

Every  night,  when  the  lesson  was 
over,  he  read  to  his  delighted  hearer 
a  portion  of  the  word  of  God.  He 
read  in  regular  order,  and  began 
with  the  history  of  the  fall  of  man, 
and  how  he  was  driven  out  of  the 
garden  of  Eden.  And  with  his 
reading  he  mingled  explanations  so 
clear  and  simple  that  a  child  might 
understand  them.  Tim's  interest 
was  raised  to  the  highest  point.  The 
story  of  Glod's  chosen  people  was 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      85 

new  to  him,  and  he  listened  to  it  with 
breathless  attention,  especially  to 
the  more  striking  portions  of  their 
experience,  such  as  the  passage  over 
the  Red  Sea,  and  the  raining  down 
of  manna  from  heaven. 

"  Is  it  true  ?"  he  would  say ;  M  are 
you  sure  that  it  is  true?" 

"  If  it  were  not  written  by  God's 
direction  we  might  almost  ask  the 
question,"  replied  Joe.  "  But  surely 
He  who  created  the  heavens  and  the 
earth,  and  sustains  them  by  his 
power,  can  cleave  the  waters  of  a 
sea  asunder,  and  rain  down  manna 
from  heaven.  Do  you  know,"  add- 
ed he,  "what  the  wilderness,  and 
the  children  of  Israel,  and  the  prom- 
ised land  are  compared  to?  Try 
and  find  it  out." 


86     STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

Tim  reflected  some  time,  and  then 
said,  "Why,  the  thought  has  come 
into  my  mind  many  times  while  you 
were  reading.  Thinks  I,  it's  some- 
thing like  us.  This  world's  very 
rough  travelling,  almost  as  bad  as 
the  wilderness  was;  and  we're  always 
shifting  about  here  and  there ;  and 
God  leads  us  step  by  step,  and 
keeps  us  moving  on.  That's  it, 
isn't  it?" 

"  But  wThat  was  the  promised 
land  ?" 

"Oh!  heaven,"  cried  Tim  eagerly, 
"  because  that's  the  end  of  our  jour- 
ney, the  place  we  want  to  go  to." 

"  Yes,  it  is  heaven  ;"  and  a  flush 
of  joy  came  over  Joe's  pale  cheek, 
as  if  he  were  anticipating  the  bless- 
edness of  those  who  are  at  rest  with 


THE   WILL  AND   THE   WAY.      87 

Jesus.  "  But,  Tim,  don't  we  mur- 
mur very  often  as  the  children  of 
Israel  did  ?  Surely,  it  was  because 
they  did  not  think  enough  of  Ca- 
naan ;  and  so,  it  may  be,  we  do  not 
think  enough  of  heaven  !" 

These  conversations  were  happy 
times  to  Tim.  During  the  day  he 
devoted  his  energies  to  the  shop, 
and  acquitted  himself  so  well  that 
his  master  was  fully  satisfied.  The 
evenings,  when  the  shop  was  closed, 
were  spent  with  his  young  teacher, 
and  Tim  soon  began  to  do  him  credit. 
In  the  course  of  six  months  he  could 
read  well,  and  write  a  good  hand — 
acquirements  which,  as  Mr.  Mason 
justly  observed,  would  make  him 
doubly  valuable  in  the  world  as  a 
man  of  business. 


88     STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  ok, 


CHAPTER  VII. 

"FAITH   COMETH   BY  HEARING,  AND 

HEARING  BY  THE  WORD  OF  GOD." 

Romans  x.  17. 

This  period  of  Tim's  life  would 
have  been  happy  and  peaceful,  had 
it  not  been  for  the  remembrance  of 
his  parents,  and  the  degraded  con- 
dition in  which  they  lived.  Their 
welfare  lay  nearest  to  his  heart,  and 
he  prayed  and  laboured  for  it  in- 
cessantly. 

Every  Sunday  afternoon  he  paid 
a  visit  home.  But  though  his  father 
and  mother  felt  a  touch  of  natural 
pride  at  seeing  him  well  dressed  and 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.       89 

prospering,  they  were  little  disposed 
to  pay  attention  to  anything  he  had 
to  say  on  the  score  of  reformation. 
His  father  worked  occasionally  for 
a  shoemaker,  and  might  soon  have 
earned  enough  to  extricate  his  fam- 
ily from  poverty.  But  the  fatal 
habit  of  intemperance  prevented  all 
hope  of  better  days,  and  the  weekly 
trifle  that  Tim  carried  home  was 
often  the  only  means  of  subsistence. 
In  spite  of  discouragement,  how- 
ever, Tim  was  gradually  gaining  an 
influence.  One  token  of  improve- 
ment was,  that  his  mother,  instead 
of  spending  the  Sabbath  in  gossip- 
ing and  standing  at  the  door,  stayed 
at  home  to  receive  her  son,  and 
even  made  some  rude  attempts  to 
give  the  room  a  creditable  appear- 


90      STEPS   UP    THE    LADDER;    OR, 


ance.  Tim,  in  her  eyes,  had  become 
a  line  gentleman  ;  and  though  she 
could  not  have  explained  it,  the  ef- 
fect of  education  and  civilization 
were  doing  their  appointed  work. 
But  this  was  not  enough  for  Tim. 
He  desired  in  his  humble  way  to  be 
an  ambassador  for  Christ.  It  was 
a  matter  of  earnest  and  continual 
prayer  that  Grod  would  make  him 
the  means  of  bringing  his  parents 
to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth.  His 
natural  timidity  stood  much  in  the 
way,  and  he  had  no  great  aptitude 
for  speaking  of  the  things  that  lay 
nearest  to  his  heart.  But  the  love 
of  Christ  constrained  him,  and  he 
resolved  to  give  himself  no  rest  un- 
til this  pious  purpose  was  accom- 
plished.    He  could  now  read  with 


THE   WILL  AND   THE   WAY.      91 

fluency,  and  he  determined  to  carry 
his  Bible  with  hirn  every  time  he 
went  home.  "  I  do  not  know 
whether  they  will  hear  or  whether 
they  will  forbear,"  said  he  to  Joe ; 
"  I  can  but  try." 

The  first  afternoon  he  took  his 
Bible,  he  felt  much  embarrassed. 
The  least  allusion  to  religion  had 
always  been  met  with  scoffs  and 
jeers  from  his  mother,  and  a  surly 
rebuke  from  his  father ;  but  he  had 
formed  his  plan,  and  was  not  to  be 
driven  from  it. 

When  a  pause  in  the  conversa- 
tion allowed  him  to  do  it  without 
abruptness,  he  drew  his  precious 
volume  from  his  pocket.  His  fa- 
ther laughed,  and  said  in  a  boastful 
manner,  "  D'ye  see,  mother  ?    our 


92     STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  oe, 

Tim's  such  a  scholar  now,  he  must 
cany  his  book  along  with  him. 
Come,  give  us  a  bit  of  reading,  lad : 
it  will  be  something  fresh." 

Tim  complied  eagerly  with  this 
request.  He  could  not  have  had  a 
more  favourable  opening,  and  he 
lifted  up  his  soul  to  God  in  prayer 
for  direction  as  to  which  portion  he 
should  choose.  He  knew  his  pa- 
rents' distaste  for  the  Bible,  and 
their  ignorance  of  its  contents ;  and 
he  thought  one  of  the  stories  in  the 
Old  Testament  would  be  most  likely 
to  engage  their  attention.  He  chose 
that  of  Joseph,  and  began  to  read 
it  in  a  clear,  distinct  voice. 

At  first,  his  father  and  mother 
were  too  much  occupied  with  the 
novel   sight  of    Tim — the  ragged, 


TIM    READING    TO    HIS    PARENTS.  Page  92. 


THE   WILL   AND    THE   WAY.      93 

penniless  Tim,  sitting,  well  dressed 
and  reading  to  them — to  listen  much 
to  the  story.  But  their  interest 
was  soon  roused,  and  as  the  story 
deepened  in  tenderness  their  faces 
grew  more  serious.  Rude  as  their 
natures  were,  some  chord  of  feeling 
was  touched.  When  Tim  reached 
that  part  of  the  narrative  where 
Joseph  makes  himself  known  to  his 
brethren,  he  looked  up.  His  mo- 
ther was  wiping  away  a  tear,  while 
the  man  got  up  and  went  whistling 
to  the  window,  as  if  to  hide  any 
sign  of  emotion. 

At  the  end  of  the  story,  Tim 
closed  the  book,  and  sat  silent,  ex- 
pecting them  to  make  some  remark. 
Neither  of  them  spoke  for  some 
minutes ;    at  length   the   man   ex- 


94  STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

claimed,  half  reproachfully,  "Why, 
Tim,  lad,  that's  out  of  the  Bible." 

As  Tim's  reading  had  evidently 
made  an  impression,  he  did  not 
wish  to  weaken  it  by  any  remarks 
of  his  own.  He  would  rather  let 
the  word  of  God  speak  for  itself, 
knowing  that  it  "is  quick  and  pow- 
erful," and  fully  able  to  accomplish 
the  design  for  which  it  was  sent. 
He  soon  after  took  his  leave,  and 
retired  to  his  closet  to  pray  ear- 
nestly that  this  first  effort  might 
not  be  without  effect. 

The  next  Sunday  Tim  went  again 
and  found  his  parents  expecting 
him  as  usual.  They  expressed  no 
dissatisfaction  at  the  sight  of  the 
Bible.  Nay,  he  had  not  sat  many 
minutes    before   his    mother    said, 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.       95 

"  Come,  Tim,  give  us  another  story- 
out  of  your  fine  book." 

This  time  Tim  opened  it  at  the 
New  Testament,  and  began  to  read 
the  history  of  our  Lord.  He  felt 
as  if,  having  introduced  the  Bible, 
he  must  come  at  once  to  his  main 
topic — salvation.  He  read  the  ac- 
count of  our  Saviour's  entrance  into 
the  world,  a  babe  in  the  manger, 
while  the  angels  sang,  "  Glory  to 
Grod  in  the  highest,  on  earth  peace, 
good  will  to  men." 

Again  his  parents  listened  atten- 
tively, and  when  he  stopped,  his 
mother  said,  "Well,  I'm  sure  I 
thought  the  Bible  was  different  from 
that.  I  didn't  think  us  poor  folks 
could  ever  get  to  understand  it. 
But  that's  easy  enough  anyhow." 


96     STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

"  G-od  gave  us  the  Bible,  mother, 
to  teach  us  the  way  to  heaven,  and, 
unless  it  was  easy,  half  of  us  could 
never  get  there.  It  is  so  plain  that 
'  he  who  runs  may  read ;'  and  there 
is  a  verse  somewhere  that  says, 
'  The  wayfaring  man,  though  a  fool, 
shall  not  err  therein.' " 

"  Come,  let's  have  some  more," 
said  the  man,  as  if  unwilling  to  hear 
Tim  speak  on  the  subject.  "  I  don't 
know  but  it's  as  good  a  way  of  pass- 
ing one's  time  as  any  other." 

Tim  read  on  with  heartfelt  joy. 
He  did  not,  as  before,  venture  to 
say  much  himself.  His  parents 
seemed  as  if  they  would  hear  the 
Bible,  but  were  too  proud  to  be 
spoken  to  by  him. 

As  Sunday  afternoon  came  round 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.        97 

he  regularly  presented  himself,  with 
his  Bible  in  his  hand ;  and  they,  as 
regularly,  sat  and  listened  to  him. 
But  what  effect,  or  w7hether  any  at 
all,  was  produced  on  their  minds 
bv  his  reading  was  unknown  to  him. 
Not  a  wrord  dropped  from  their  lips 
on  the  subject. 

The  news  of  Tim's  scholarship, 
however,  took  wind  through  the 
house.  It  was  one  of  those  ill  ecu- 
ducted  dwellings,  occupied  by  a 
number  of  families,  who  lived, 
crammed  together,  more  like  wild 
beasts  than  human  beings.  Some 
of  these  persons,  led  by  curiosity, 
were  accustomed  to  gather  round 
the  door,  to  hear  Tim  read,  and  to 
stare  at  him  in  his  altered  dress. 
Tim  was    not  sorry  to  see    them. 


98      STEPS   UP   THE    LADDER 


The  more  hearers  came  under  the 
sound  of  the  gospel  the  better.  He 
read  on  in  spite  of  their  whispers 
and  their  stifled  laughs.  He  was 
too  much  in  earnest  to  let  any  of 
these  things  stand  in  the  way.  But 
one  afternoon  he  came  to  the  chap- 
ters containing  the  account  of  our 
Saviour's  agony  in  the  garden,  and 
his  death  upon  the  cross.  He  read 
it  with  deep  feeling,  and  long  before 
he  had  finished,  the  laugh  and 
whispers  had  ceased.  As  he  looked 
round,  he  saw  faces  so  hard  and 
harsh  in  their  usual  expression, 
softened  into  something  like  tender- 
ness and  regret.  And  when  he 
read  the  verse  which  had  in  it  the 
reply  to  the  dying  thief,  he  heard 
many  a  sigh  of  contrition,  and  one 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      99 

"haggard-looking  woman  exclaimed, 
with  a  burst  of  tears,  "  That's  just 
the  Saviour  for  me." 

"  Not  for  you  only,  but  for  all  of 
us,"  said  Tim,  earnestly.  "He  says 
to  every  one,  '  Come  unto  me,  and 
I  will  give  you  rest.'  '  Though 
your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall 
be  as  wool.'  '  Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved.'" 

"  Only  think,  if  our  Tim  has  not 
turned  preacher,"  said  one  ill-look- 
ing man,  with  a  scornful  laugh. 
But  the  laugh  was  not  echoed.  On 
the  contrary,  when  Tim  ceased 
reading,  the  little  group  retired 
quietly  to  their  several  rooms,  and 
it  was  some  time  before  the  noise 


100   STEPS   UP   THE   LADDER;   OR, 

and  quarrelling,  usually  heard,  be- 
gan again. 

The  next  Sunday,  Tim  had  the 
same  audience,  only  it  was  more 
quiet  and  respectful.  The  alley  in 
which  the  house  was  situated  be- 
longed to  a  large  overgrown  parish, 
and  was  rarely  visited  by  ministers 
of  any  denomination.  The  inhabi- 
tants were  sunk  in  vice  and  poverty; 
and  now  it  seemed  as  if  God  in  his 
mysterious  providence  had  raised 
up  one  from  and  of  themselves,  to 
labour  among  them  in  the  holy 
cause  of  religion.  Any  other  youth- 
ful Christian  might  have  shrunk 
from  entering  on  such  a  field  of  use- 
fulness. But  Tim  had  this  advan- 
tage, that  he  knew  well  the  people 
with  whom  he  had  to  deal,  and  had 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      101 

gone  in  and  out  among  them  all  his 
life.  His  good  nature  and  gentle- 
ness, as  compared  with  other  lads 
in  the  alley,  had  made  Tim  a  fa- 
vourite from  his  childhood.  Now 
he  was  lifted  far  above  his  fellows, 
and  had  become  an  object  of  admi- 
ration. "See  how  Tim  has  got  on!" 
was  the  remark  of  many  a  mother 
to  her  ragged  boy ;  and  though  she 
knew  not  the  cause  of  the  change, 
she,  as  well  as  her  neighbours,  were 
ready  enough  to  admit  the  advan- 
tages resulting  from  it. 

But  it  was  not  Tim's  bettered 
condition,  his  good  clothes,  or  com- 
fortable lodgings,  that  gave  him  his 
sweetest  satisfaction.  These  were 
sources  of  gratitude ;  but  he  would 
say  to  himself,  "  I  might  have  had 


102  STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

them  all,  and  yet  not  have  been  a 
Christian.  It  is  to  be  a  Christian 
that  makes  me  so  happy.  Thank 
Grod  for  his  unspeakable  gift." 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      103 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

"speak   unto   the   children  of 
israel,  that  they  go  forward." 

Exodus  xiv.  15. 

For  some  months  Tim  quietly 
pursued  the  same  course,  and  spent 
every  Sunday  afternoon  in  reading 
the  Bible  to  his  parents.  Neither 
of  them  expressed  pleasure  or  an- 
noyance at  his  conduct.  The  man 
smoked,  and  the  woman  occasionally 
moved  restlessly  about,  but  no  re- 
mark ever  dropped  from  their  lips. 
The  lodgers  who  had  collected  at 
first  round  the  door  came  and  went 


104  STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

as  they  pleased,  but  it  was  seldom 
that  the  passage  outside  had  not 
some  half-dozen  listeners  assembled 
in  it. 

None  came  so  regularly  as  the 
man  who  had  scoffed  at  Tim's  turn- 
ing preacher.  He  would  sit  on  the 
top  stair,  smoking  all  the  time. 
He  had  settled  himself  when  Tim 
came,  and  was  smoking  on,  in  the 
same  attitude,  when  Tim  went  away. 
He  never  spoke,  but  his  constant 
presence  showed  that  some  interest 
was  excited  in  his  breast. 

Poor  Tim  had  all  the  failings  of 
the  young,  zealous,  but  inexperi- 
enced Christian.  He  felt  discour- 
aged that  his  reading  had  produced 
no  more  effect  upon  his  parents. 
Except  the  trifling  improvement  of 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      105 

staying  at  home  to  listen  to  him, 
they  lived  the  old  life  of  idleness 
and  dissipation.  His  brothers  and 
sisters  were  beggars,  and  in  rags. 
Nothing  was  changed,  and  the 
obdurate  silence  with  which  they 
listened  weighed  upon  him  like  a 
burden. 

"I  fear  I  shall  do  little  good  after 
all,"  said  he  one  day  to  his  never- 
failing  friend  and  counsellor,  Joe. 

"  Fear !  that  word  is  not  to  be 
found  in  the  Christian's  vocabulary," 
said  Joe  reprovingly.  "Surely  you 
do  not  mean  to  give  up." 

"  Give  up  ?  No,  anything  but 
that,"  cried  Tim  with  animation ; 
"  but  how  I  wish  I  could  see  some 
sign  of  amendment !  There  is  not 
the  least  at  present." 


106  STEPS  UP  the  ladder;  or, 

"  What  does  that  matter  ?  Your 
business  is  to  do  Grod's  work.  Let 
him  bring  it  to  a  good  issue.  The 
united  strength  of  the  world  could 
not  convert  a  single  soul ;  but  God 
can  do  it  in  an  instant.  You  must 
pray  to  him.  It  is  the  effectual 
fervent  prayer  that  avails." 

"  I  will  pray,"  said  Tim  solemnly. 
And  long  after  every  member  of 
the  household  had  retired,  did  he 
intercede  for  his  parents  with  tears 
and  strong  supplications. 

A  few  Sundays  after,  he  was  read- 
ing as  usual,  and  the  man,  who 
went  by  the  name  of  Jem,  was  sit- 
ting on  the  stair  in  his  accustomed 
place.  Several  persons  were  gath- 
ered round  the  door,  as  was  their 
wont.      Tim    came  to   that   verse, 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      107 

"Search  the  Scriptures;  for  in  them 
ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life." 

He  had  no  sooner  finished  the 
words,  than  Jem  flung  down  his 
pipe,  and  starting  up,  cried  out, 
looking  at  his  companions,  "  I'll 
tell  you  what  we'll  do,  boys ;  we'll 
learn  to  read." 

"  Ah,  let  us,"  said  another,  as  if 
the  thought  had  suggested  itself  to 
him  before.  u  What's  the  good  of 
hear,  hear,  hear,  and  not  know  a 
letter  for  ourselves  ?  I'm  not  above 
learning." 

"  Nor  I,"  "  Nor  I,"  said  a  third 
and  a  fourth. 

Tim  grasped  Jem's  hand  cor- 
dially. "  Let  me  teach  you,"  said 
he ;  "  Grocl  has  sent  me  to  you  on 
purpose." 


108  STEPS  UP  THE   ladder;  or, 

"  Happen  he  may,  and  happen 
he  mayn't,"  said  the  man  roughly ; 
"  but  anyhow  I'll  learn  to  read." 

Tim  was  anxious  to  profit  by 
this  sudden  impulse,  and  began  at 
once  to  form  a  class.  His  father 
and  mother  stood  aloof.  They  felt 
humiliated  at  the  idea  of  being 
taught  by  their  own  son.  Tim  re- 
spected their  feelings,  and  was  con- 
tent to  wait  until  their  prejudices 
should  give  way.  He  thought  one 
great  point  was  gained,  and  the 
rest,  with  Grod's  blessing,  would 
follow. 

The  materials  he  had  to  work 
upon  were  discouraging,  as  far  as 
outward  judgment  went.  The  half- 
dozen  men  who  were  to  be  Tim's 
pupils  were  long  practised  in  evil 


THE   WILL  AND   THE   WAY.      109 

habits.  Two  or  three  women  were 
anxious  to  join  the  class,  and  they 
were  ragged  and  forlorn,  and  showed 
the  same  want  of  industry  and 
cleanliness  as  did  his  own  mother. 
But  Tim  remembered  the  rock  from 
whence  he  was  hewn,  and  the  pit 
from  which  he  was  digged.  The 
same  Divine  power  that  had  snatch- 
ed him  as  a  brand  from  the  burn- 
ing could  snatch  these  also.  They 
were,  in  his  eyes,  precious  souls, 
for  whom  Christ  died ;  and  if  but 
one  only  could  be  rescued  throi;gh 
his  means,  he  would  not  have  lived 
in  vain. 

On  his  return  home  he  would  not 
even  tell  Joe  the  news  of  his  success 
until  he  had  returned  thanks  at  the 

throne  of  grace.     "  0  Grod,  I  thank 
10 


110   STEPS   UP    THE    LADDER;    OR, 

thee !"  was  all  that  he  could  utter. 
For  he  knew  that  it  was  God  alone 
who  had  inclined  the  hearts  of  these 
men  to  listen  to  the  truth,  and  to 
him  he  ascribed  all  the  glory. 

His  friend  Joe  sympathized  with 
him  deeply.  "  I  am  not  surprised," 
said  he  ;  "I  told  you  all  along  that 
Grod  could  work  by  a  feeble  instru- 
ment as  well  as  by  a  strong  one, 
and  that  his  word  would  not  return 
unto  him  void.  Tim,"  added  he 
with  great  energy,  "your  wilder- 
ness may  yet  rejoice,  and  blossom 
as  the  rose." 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  Tim,  after 
a  pause,  "  what  I  should  like  to  do? 
It  has  come  into  my  mind  many  a 
time  since  I  have  been  backwards 
and  forwards  to  the  alley.     I  should 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.    Ill 

like  to  give  up  my  whole  life  to 
the  service  of  Christ.  I  should  like 
to  be  a  city  missionary.  Christ  has 
done  so  much  for  me."  And  he  re- 
peated those  beautiful  lines, 

"  Love  so  amazing,  so  divine 
Demands  my  soul,  my  life,  my  all." 

"I  don't  despair  even  of  that," 
said  Joe  cheerfully ;  "  you  are  well 
calculated  to  go  among  the  class 
who  need  the  missionaries  most. 
God  wants  labourers  in  his  vineyard: 
why  should  not  you  be  one  ?" 

"Oh  that  I  might!"  cried  Tim; 
"  but  you  must  remember  that  after 
all  I  am  a  poor  lad  ;  and  if  your 
father  had  not  taken  me,  and  you 
had  not  taught  me,  I  must  have  re- 
mained in  the  state  I  was  in." 

"  No,  Tim,  no ;  God  would  have 


112   STEPS   UP    THE    LADDER;    OR, 

helped  you  out  by  some  other  way, 
for  he  never  leaves  nor  forsakes 
those  who  trust  in  him.  And  you 
did  trust  in  him." 

"  I  did,  and  I  do,"  replied  Tim, 
solemnly. 

"  Well,  then,  go  on  your  way  re- 
joicing. The  Lord  will  provide, 
and  do  for  you  exceeding  abundantly 
above  all  you  can  ask  or  think. 
'  Fear  not,'  as  Grod  said  to  Joshua; 
4  only  believe.'  " 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.     113 


CHAPTER  IX. 
"faith  without  wokks  is  dead." 

James  ii.  26. 

God's  word  may  well  be  said  to 
be  a  tried  word,  for  every  saying  in 
the  sacred  volume  has  borne  the 
test  of  long  experience.  Not  only 
in  religion,  but  in  every- day  occur- 
rences does  this  infallibility  assert 
itself.  "A  little  leaven  leaveneth 
the  whole  lump,"  is  true  in  every 
way.  In  a  community,  how  will 
one  false  character  infect  the  rest! 
In  a  family,  how  will  one  bad  ex- 
ample spoil  the  rest !  In  an  indi- 
vidual, how  will  one  vile  propensity 
10* 


114   STEPS   UP   THE    LADDER  J    OR, 

taint  the  whole  man !  Good  and 
evil  principles  are  alike  in  this — 
they  are  aggressive.  They  move 
ever  onwards,  though  in  opposite 
directions ;  one  dragging  us  from 
God  and  happiness  and  heaven,  the 
other  leading  us  to  glory,  honour, 
and  immortality. 

In  the  neglected  alley  where  Tim's 
parents  lived,  the  leaven  of  Christ's 
kingdom  had  begun  silently  to  make 
its  way.  It  could  no  more  be  hind- 
ered than  could  the  descending  rain 
or  the  genial  sunshine.  The  mes- 
sage of  God's  mercy  was  proclaimed 
week  by  week,  by  a  solitary  labourer 
in  this  part  of  his  vineyard.  It  was 
proclaimed  in  faith,  and  accom- 
panied by  prayer,  and  could  not  be 
without  effect.     The   motive  of  an 


THE   WILL  AND   THE   WAY.     115 

undertaking  is  soon  apparent,  es- 
pecially if  that  undertaking  be  la- 
borious and  discouraging.  It  must 
be  done  in  singleness  of  heart,  and 
unto  God,  if  there  is  to  be  continu- 
ance in  well-doing.  The  youths, 
those  to  whom  of  all  others  we  look 
for  untiring  yigour,  grow  weary  and 
faint.  For  a  time  they  run  well, 
then  they  slacken  their  pace.  The 
force  of  human  intention  becomes 
exhausted.  "  Even  the  young  men 
shall  utterly  fell."  "  But  they  that 
wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew 
their  strength." 

Here  is  the  secret  of  all  success- 
ful deeds.  The  saints  of  every  age, 
from  the  noble  army  of  martyrs  to 
the  humblest  Christian  who  bears 
his  cross  daily  without  murmuring, 


116   STEPS   UP   THE    LADDER;    OR, 

have  come  to  this  living  fountain, 
and  gone  away  braced  with  new 
energy. 

M  From  Thee,  the  overflowing  spring, 
Our  souls  shall  drink  a  fresh  supply ; 
While  such  as  trust  their  native  strength 
Shall  melt  away,  and  droop,  and  die." 

Here  it  was  that  Tim  found  help 
amid  the  labours  to  which  he  had 
devoted  himself;  and  this  enabled 
him  to  hold  on  his  way.  Week 
after  week  found  him  at  his  post, 
clearing  away,  as  far  as  he  was  able, 
the  mists  of  ignorance,  and  teach- 
ing these  rude  unlettered  men  the 
way  of  salvation. 

Young  as  he  was,  he  soon  acquired 
an  influence  over  his  pupils.  His 
patience  and  gentleness  surprised 
them.     They  wondered  he  should 


THE   WILL   AND    THE    WAY.    117 

forego  the  few  hours  of  pleasure  he 
might  have  enjoyed  on  the  Lord's 
day,  and  spend  it  in  teaching  them. 
They  were  conscious  of  a  principle 
that  regulated  his  conduct  far  dif- 
ferent from  their  own  fluctuating 
and  perverse  wills ;  and  they  secretly 
respected  what  they  scarcely  hoped 
to  possess. 

"  I  know  what  it  is,"  said  the 
woman  who  had  wept  at  the  story 
of  her  Saviour's  death  :  "  it  is  some- 
thing my  mother  had,  for  she  sang 
hymns  when  she  died.  You  need  not 
laugh,  Jem.  I  was  not  always  what 
I  am  now." 

"  Laugh  !  I  never  was  further 
from  laughing  in  my  life,"  said 
Jem.  "  I  know  what  it  will  do," 
he  added,  stamping  his  foot;  "  if  it 


118  STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

goes  on  much  longer,  it  will  drive 
me  mad." 

"  Why  will  it  ?"  asked  the  woman 
astonished. 

"  Because  I  can't  hear  that  and  go 
on  sinning"  cried  Jem,  vehemently. 
"  Why  need  he  keep  telling  us  of 
Jesus  being  nailed  to  the  cross,  when 
all  the  while  I  know  it  was  for  me 
and  such  as  me  it  was  done  ?" 

"  It  does  not  do  so  with  me,"  said 
the  woman,  looking  at  him  in  a 
wondering  manner.  "  It  comforts 
me,  Jem.  I  have  not  had  a  kind 
word  spoke  to  me  this  many  a  year ; 
and  now,  '  Come  unto  me,  and  I  will 
give  you  rest' — that's  what  melted 
my  heart !"  and  she  burst  into 
tears. 

At  the  close  of  a  year,  if  you  had 


THE   WILL   AKD    THE   WAY.     119 

looked  for  these  two  people  in  the 
alley  you  would  not  have  found 
them.  Jem's  room,  where  he 
smoked  and  drank  all  clay,  was 
occupied  by  other  tenants.  Jem 
was  carrying  on  the  business  of  a 
porter  in  another  part  of  the  city. 
When  his  day's  work  was  over,  you 
might  have  seen  him  at  one  of  those 
schools,  planned  by  Christian  love, 
where  adults  are  taught  to  read  and 
write.  Jem  could  do  both,  though 
imperfectly.  After  a  time,  from  a 
pupil  he  would  become  a  teacher. 

The  woman  had  reached  that 
haven  where  "  the  wicked  cease 
from  troubling,  and  the  weary  are 
at  rest."  But  before  her  death  she 
had  become  a  convert  to  the  faith 
of  the  gospel.     Of  the  neighbours 


120  STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

who  attended  her  in  her  illness,  one 
at  least  was  won  by  the  sight  of  a 
peaceful  death,  in  a  place  where 
death  was  wont  to  be  armed  with 
so  many  terrors.  This  woman  had 
children,  and  she  resolved  to  bring 
them  up  in  the  nurture  of  the  Lord. 
Thus  did  the  leaven  go  on  spread- 
ing from  one  family  to  another.  In 
one  and  another  barriers  of  sin  were 
thrown  down ;  the  strong  man 
armed  was  overcome  by  a  stronger 
than  he ;  and  of  many  it  might 
be  said,  "At  eventide  it  shall  be 
light." 

A  few  more  vears,  and  Tim  attain- 
ed  the  height  of  his  Christian  ambi- 
tion. He  became  a  city  missionary, 
and  laboured  among  the  streets  and 
lanes  that  surrounded  his  old  home. 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      121 

His  parents  removed  from  the  alley 
to  a  small  house  in  a  better  situa- 
tion. The  man  became  industrious 
and  sober,  and  his  wife  and  family 
thenceforward  presented  a  credit- 
able appearance.  If  you  were  to 
have  asked  the  reason,  the  man 
would  have  told  you  in  his  own 
words,  as  he  did  to  one  friend,  "  In- 
deed, sir,  we  kicked  hard  against 
the  pricks,  and  tried  to  keep  in  our 
wickedness  as  long  as  we  could. 
But  there  was  no  resisting  our  Tim, 
or  rather  the  word  that  Tim  spoke. 
It  fastened  itself  on  our  hearts:  first 
one  and  then  another  was  led  to 
cry,  'What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?' 
And  then,  when  it  pleased  God  to 
pardon  us,  for  Jesus'  sake,  we  could 
not  live  as  we  did  any  longer.  We 
11 


122   STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 


must  work,  and  we  did  work ;  and 
this  is  what  has  come  of  it." 

There  is  one  individual  mentioned 
in  the  foregoing  pages  who  must 
not  be  passed  over  without  notice. 
It  is  Tim's  old  companion,  JNed 
Walker,  and  his  history  may  be 
told  in  a  few  words.  He  was  one 
of  those  who  would  get  on  by  all 
means,  and  who  fancied  that  the 
end  justifies  the  means.  He  ob- 
tained an  excellent  situation  by 
trickery,  and  a  character  which  was 
afterwards  found  to  be  false.  But 
as  he  was  wholly  unrestrained  by 
religious  principle,  he  was  unable 
to  resist  the  power  of  evil  habits. 
For  a  little  time  he  did  well,  but  in 
the  hour  of  temptation  he  fell  away. 
He  could  not  refrain  from  pilfering. 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      123 

From  little  thefts  lie  went  on  to 
large  ones,  until  at  length  detection 
came,  and  he  was  thrown  into  prison. 
Tim  visited  him  several  times,  for 
he  could  not  but  feel  interested  in 
his  fate.  The  two  lads  had  started 
together  in  life,  and  with  equal 
chances  of  success.  Ned,  indeed, 
had  the  advantage  in  point  of  time. 
His  mind  had  first  awakened  to  a 
desire  for  improvement;  he  had 
been  able  to  read  before  Tim  had 
mastered  his  letters,  and  was  cloth- 
ed respectably  while  Tim  was  in 
rags.  But  the  sterling  principle 
was  absent  in  the  one,  while  by 
Grod's  grace  it  had  been  found  in 
the  other.  Religion  had  borne 
Tim  out  in  the  struggle  to  obtain  a 
better  footing.     His  steps  had  been 


124   STEPS  UP  THE  ladder;  or, 

sure,  and  the  foundation  he  had 
built  upon,  a  rock.  Ned,  alas !  had 
no  such  guide  and  no  such  founda- 
tion. His  house  had  been  built 
upon  the  sand.  It  had  fallen,  and 
great  was  the  fall  thereof. 

When  Ned  came  out  of  prison, 
all  desire  to  gain  a  better  footing  in 
the  world  seemed  to  have  left  him. 
He  gave  himself  up  to  recklessness 
and  vice,  and  after  running  a  short 
career  he  was  again  in  prison,  and 
in  the  end  sentenced  to  transporta- 
tion. Thus  was  verified  the  word, 
that  "  he  who  trusts  in  his  own 
heart  is  a  fool." 

Religion  is  a  practical  matter. 
It  can  no  more  rest  in  mere  theory 
or  bare  creeds  than  can  the  sap  in 
the  living  plant  be  kept  from  circu- 


THE   WILL   AND   THE   WAY.      125 

lating  through  every  leaf.  If  the 
heart  be  changed,  and  the  love  of 
Christ  shed  abroad  there,  good 
works  must  follow,  not  as  meritori- 
ous, or  adding  one  iota  to  the  great 
work  that  Christ  has  finished,  but 
as  a  natural  consequence.  The  cry 
of  the  heart  will  be,  "Lord,  what 
wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ? 

In  this  pressing  towards  what- 
ever is  excellent,  is  seen  the  result 
of  the  benignant  and  humanizing 
influence  of  Christianity,  a  result 
which  neither  mere  scientific  educa- 
tion nor  philosophy  can  ever  effect. 
Christians,  then,  should  be  up  and 
doing.  The  fields  are  white  already 
to  the  harvest.  Each  one  has  his 
own  space  allotted  to  him  wherein 
to  labour.  Let  all  "  work  while  it 
11* 


126        STEPS   UP   THE   LADDER. 

is  called  to-day."  "Whatsoever 
thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with 
thy  might ;  for  there  is  no  work, 
nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor  wis- 
dom, in  the  grave,  whither  thou 
goest." 


THE   END. 


